News

Central New York is poised to become a focal point for the development of biomass systems for the production of heat, power, fuels and products. The shortage of well trained professionals to meet the growing demand of the bioenergy field is one of the barriers to the development of biomass as a source of renewable energy. There is and will continue to be a growing need for a well-educated and skilled workforce with the background and experience to address the complexities of this rapidly developing industry. This project will assist in producing knowledgeable and experienced professionals with the requisite analytical, creative thinking and problem solving skills to meet the growing demand of the bioenergy field in the region.

The summer biomass internship program is run collaboratively by SUNY-ESF, the Syracuse Center of Excellence and the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CEO) and provides opportunities for qualified college students to work with a central NY company that is focused on biomass issues. This will provide students an opportunity to achieve their career goals by gaining experience in the biomass field while concurrently meeting workplace and industry needs by increasing the quality of postsecondary instruction in bioenergy. This program will help to build on valuable relationships between local firms working in the biomass field and college students studying in the region.

To be eligible for this internship program a student must be enrolled in a part-time or full-time undergraduate or graduate degree program at either SUNY-ESF or Syracuse University.

Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) seeks applications for competitively awarded Technology Application and Demonstration (TAD) projects.  Projects of interest address applications to demonstrate the “first proof of principle” or “reduction to practice” phase of new product or service development associated with air and water quality in built and urban environments.

Up to four awards will be awarded at a maximum of $50,000 each, with a maximum duration of up to three months.

Deadline for submission is 5:00 pm (EST) March 31, 2011, with a project start date of May 16, 2011. Project completion date is on or before August 15, 2011.

On Monday, Feb. 14, Jurij Paraszczak, Director of Industry Solutions and Smarter Cities at IBM, will discuss “Building a Smarter City through Information Communication Technology and Mathematics” at a SyracuseCoE R&T Forum. The forum will take place at 4 p.m. at the Syracuse Center of Excellence Headquarters, Rm 203 (727 E. Washington Street, Syracuse). Light refreshments will follow.

Abstract

The condensation of some 85% of the global population to within 200 miles of a coastline alone presents a sufficient challenge for cities to deliver just basic services to the city’s citizens. Climatic changes which are melting the permafrost of military airfields in the arctic while creating unheard of routes over the polar ice cap are also adding to pressures being exerted on these coastlines. Coupled with the inexorable growth of population it is clear that the current approach in the delivery of city services – from clean water and electricity to the delivery of space for traffic and buildings requires radical restructuring.

The compression of population has another effect – it couples the activity of individuals more closely and emergencies impact larger numbers of citizens – sometimes with unexpected consequences. Cities therefore need to be able to rapidly respond to disruptions orchestrating an orderly and optimized response. For example, knowledge of rainfall provides an opportunity to predict not only road flooding but also the impact on subterranean effects on subways and steam pipe leaks.

We will review the state of the possible in the improvement of the delivery of city services and show examples where predictive models coupled with an appropriate modeling and data acquisition environment can significantly mitigate the stress on cities – essentially rendering them “smarter.”

Jurij is Director of IBM Research Industry Solutions and the   leader of the Research Smarter Cities  program focusing on helping cities manage the complex set of demands placed on their infrastructure  by their constituents and on the optimization of  flows of energy, people and water through this infrastructure.

As the IBM Research lead for Smarter Cities Jurij is responsible for aligning the 10 Research Laboratories around Smarter Cities opportunities emerging around the globe.

In this role he is also responsible for integrating research capabilities in, materials and processes,  IT innovation, modeling and optimization to implement  sustainable solutions with IBM’s customers in industries as diverse as retail, telecom, automotive, electric power, government.  In addition Jurij manages a team of specialists who help develop Research innovations in ICT into customer solutions for all industry verticals.

Previously Jurij was Chief Technology Officer of the IBM Venture Capital group and also Director of Technology for the IBM Research Emerging Business Group, where he was  responsible for identifying and harvesting all sources of innovation for IBM’s solutions and products from a the global Venture  community and the Research Division, Prior to these roles, Jurij worked in Digital Media as the CTO and in IBM Research working variously in telecommunications systems,  chip design and materials science focusing on the design and use of materials for semiconductor devices

Jurij has over 55 publications in various areas of telecommunications, technology and systems and over 18 patents in a wide variety of fields including communications, plasma chemistry, microlithography, materials manipulation and chip fabrication, packaging systems, media delivery and characterisation, Jurij has a broad experience to draw on to help span a wide variety of disciplines and to synthesise new approaches to old problems. He obtained his PhD and BSc from the University of Sheffield, UK.

George Segré, a senior in SU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, recently traveled to New York City to present his research on the SyracuseCoE green roof at the New York Water Environment Association’s (NYWEA) Annual Conference. George’s research, detailing how green roofs affect water quality, won him 3rd place at the NYWEA 2011 University Forum. To download his presentation, click Green Roofs: How Do They Affect Water Quality?

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy made a special visit to Syracuse Center of Excellence (SyracuseCoE) February 3, 2011, during his time in Syracuse to present the 2011-2012 Executive Budget message.

On a guided tour by Executive Director Ed Bogucz and Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Lt. Governor Duffy was introduced to SyracuseCoE’s unique capabilities, partnerships and projects. “We are greatly honored that Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy chose our building as one of his stops in Syracuse,” says Ed Bogucz. “We are excited to promote the outstanding work being done in this region which has become an engine for the creation of jobs, and we look forward to a strong partnership with the new administration in Albany.”

Lt. Governor Duffy serves as chair of regional economic development for New York State, an effort to create a more regionally-based approach to allocating economic development funding and to act as one-stop shops for all State-supported economic development and business assistance programs in each region. Ed Bogucz, Chancellor Cantor and CenterState CEO Vice President Linda Hartsock focused on the extraordinary strengths of this region in the energy and environmental systems innovation cluster, as well as the strong partnerships already developed between research institutions and firms in Upstate and Downstate New York. Establishing connections among networks of New York’s assets, transforming the innovation process by integrating research and development, demonstration and deployment, economic development, as well as workforce and community training are among of the main objectives of SyracuseCoE.

The Center for Sustainable Community Solutions (CSCS) at SyracuseCoE has received an award through the Environmental Investment Program at Empire State Development to develop a program dedicated to promoting, supporting and addressing barriers to the growth of construction and demolition (C&D) recycling in NY. The new program will be housed at SyracuseCoE and led by Mark Lichtenstein, executive director of the SyracuseCoE Center for Sustainable Community Solutions.

The program will be committed to divert 7,672 tons of C&D materials from disposal to recycling and generate more than $650,000 of associated avoided disposal costs to help sustain the program past it’s first year. The program will subcontract with WasteCap Resource Solutions (of Wisconsin) to help train contractors and haulers in C&D materials management over the two year period and to equip the program with the capability to continue to offer this training in the long-term.

A key component of the program will be the provision of training on C&D materials management for NYS haulers and contractors. While these groups (and building owners) are motivated to improve onsite management of C&D so that more can be recycled, they lack the skills and capabilities to move forward. On-site C&D materials management services will also be offered.

The program will also:

• gather information to better characterize NYS’s C&D waste stream and utilize this information for C&D market development in NYS;
• identify end-uses to which the materials currently flow and could potentially flow;
• connect sources with end-users of C&D materials via networking; and
• help NYS’s C&D and building materials reuse communities to self-identify and become part of a network, viewing the new program as the “go-to” source for assistance with C&D recycling.

Partnerships with related organizations will include the USGBC New York Upstate chapter, waste and materials haulers, chapters of the NYS Builders Association; and key players in the NYS green building sector such as Northeast Natural Homes and Hope for Us Housing.

On January 15, the first and only patented indoor air quality product in America dedicated to improving the health of building occupants by using fresh, outside air was launched. Designed and manufactured by SyracuseCoE Silver Partner Air Innovations, the HEPAiRx® ventilating room air purifier quickly and effectively dilutes, filters and reduces the indoor pollutants that are often cited as causes of asthma, respiratory irritations and allergic reactions. This launch illustrates the impact of SyracuseCoE’s “Innovation Ecosystem,” as this project was supported through the research, demonstration, and commercialization phases by SyracuseCoE and its partners. For the full story, click here.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.– The CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CenterState CEO) and Syracuse Center of Excellence (SyracuseCoE) today announced an important new partnership designed to grow businesses in the energy and environmental fields.

The new formal collaboration brings together the business and economic development assets of CenterStateCEO with the extensive research and academic assets of the SyracuseCoE federation in order to:

• Launch new businesses, grow existing businesses, and create partnerships between emerging companies and established industry leaders in these sectors;
• Align R&D with business and economic development investments, and identify new funding opportunities for companies in the region; and
• Open doors for companies to solve business challenges and find new market opportunities by connecting them with top researchers.

“This partnership with SyracuseCoE creates a unique system where ‘R’ meets ‘D,’ increasing industry-university collaboration to advance business development, product commercialization, funding opportunities and investment for the region,” said Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO.  “By sharing resources and experiences, CenterState CEO and SyracuseCoE can better accelerate a shared goal of competing in an innovation and technology-focused economy.”

The new partnership will engage companies of any size, across all stages – from promising startups to well-established organizations.  New partnership and opportunities are already developing.

CenterState CEO and SyracuseCoE have facilitated an initiative between the Pall Corporation, of Cortland, and Clarkson University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Cornell University to shape a proposal and seek funding to establish a national research center in the area of industrial water quality technologies.  CenterState CEO and SyracuseCoE are also working with Cameron Manufacturing, of Horseheads, as they collaborate with Clarkson University researchers on the development of energy efficient clean room technologies.  Supported by funding from SyracuseCoE’s Commercialization Assistance Program and business development assistance from Center State CEO, the company is poised to grow in this expanding market.

“Partnering with CenterState CEO is another major milestone in the development of our region as an international powerhouse for innovations in energy and environmental systems,” said Ed Bogucz, SyracuseCoE executive director.  “CenterState CEO got us started in 1998 as direct result of its Vision 2010 plan, and has provided vital support over the years.  We fully anticipate that this new level of collaboration will lead to further opportunities for businesses to excel in these growing fields, right here in our region.”

SyracuseCoE accelerates environmental and energy solutions for a sustainable future by engaging collaborators at 200+ companies and institutions, generating research, demonstrating new technologies, commercializing business ideas, and educating the workforce and the community.  Linking with CenterState CEO programs, initiatives, and partners will leverage resources and create a unified voice in the region for industry collaboration.

CenterState CEO has committed to provide SyracuseCoE with a team of professionals to advance this joint effort.  Linda Hartsock, in addition to her role as CenterState CEO’s vice president of innovation and technology initiatives, will serve as SyracuseCoE director of industry collaboration.  Other CEO staff directly supporting the team will be Michael Novakowski in the area of external business attraction, and Mitchell Patterson in the area of emerging business development.  The partnership also includes technology commercialization assistance through The Clean Tech Center, a NYSERDA-funded clean energy incubator and CenterState CEO’s affiliate.

About CenterState CEO:  Based in Syracuse, the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CenterState CEO) is a private, not-for-profit business leadership and economic development organization.  CenterState CEO represents more than 2,000 members across twelve counties, and serves as the region’s primary economic, community and business development catalyst.  CenterState CEO works to achieve regional growth and total community prosperity through partnerships, planning and problem solving. For more information, visit www.centerstateceo.com.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has named the SyracuseCoE the winner of the 2010 Leadership Award in the Non-Governmental Organization Sector.  The Leadership Awards recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that signify vision, leadership and commitment to the evolution of green building design and construction.

“From human performance to building performance, from air quality to building controls, from clean energy to renewable energy, the Syracuse Center of Excellence is working to leverage the best energy and ideas to advance the scientific understanding of the building science of green buildings, and applications to put that science to use,” says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “SyracuseCoE has exhibited extraordinary leadership in creating innovations in environmental and energy technologies and their immediate application. Their work in the area of improved indoor environmental quality has provided an international platform that has raised this critical issue to the forefront.”

“We are greatly honored and deeply humbled to receive the USGBC’s Leadership Award,” says Ed Bogucz, executive director of SyracuseCoE. “Our organization originated in 1998, motivated largely by the pioneering vision of the founders and early leaders of the USGBC. We embraced the USGBC’s vision of transforming the built environment as the cornerstone of an ambitious plan to revitalize our region’s economy though innovation and collaboration. We are now harvesting the first fruits of our efforts, and we thank the USGBC for this recognition. Most of all, we thank the USGBC for its inspirational vision and its continued leadership in transforming the marketplace for sustainable buildings and communities.”

SyracuseCoE engages collaborators at more than 200 firms, organizations and institutions to create innovations that improve health, productivity, security and sustainability in built and urban environments. This unique model actively integrates business, science, policy and practice to conduct targeted research, demonstrate new technologies, accelerate deployment of innovations and educate the workforce and the public. Its newly opened headquarters in Syracuse—designed to achieve a LEED Platinum rating—is a one-of-a-kind test bed for environmental and energy technologies and building innovations.

The SyracuseCoE, along with five other Leadership Award recipients, were honored at USGBC’s annual Greenbuild conference, held Nov.17-19 in Chicago. This year, the awards were presented in three categories—Leadership in the Private Sector, Leadership in the Public Sector and Leadership in the NGO Sector.

The November issue of Metropolis Magazine, a leading national publication for architecture and design, includes a feature story on SyracuseCoE and its role in helping revitalize the City of Syracuse. In addition, design projects led by Syracuse University, such as the Connective Corridor and the “From the Ground Up” homes built in Syracuse’s Near Westside neighborhood, are also featured. For the full article, click here.

Roberta Brandes Gratz—urban critic and author most recently of The Battle for Gotham—signs books at the SyracuseCoE Symposium 2010, accompanied by Ed Bogucz, SyracuseCoE Executive Director. Next to Gratz and Bogucz, an Air Innovations HEPAiRx air conditioner/air purifier is demonstrated. More than 250 attended the Symposium over two days–Sept. 27 and 28–where Gratz was one of six plenary speakers who addressed topics relating to the Symposium’s theme of “Restoring Sustainable, Healthy Communities.” Said Gratz, reviewing the city’s sustainability initiatives, “Here in Syracuse, you are demonstrating that you don’t have to leave this city to live in a better one.” Excerpts from Gratz’s lecture have been published by The Post-Standard.

An unprecedented, cross-sector consortium formed in New York state during the past seven months has united to transform research, development, demonstration and deployment of technologies to make buildings more energy efficient. Calling itself the New York Energy–Regional Innovation Cluster (NYE-RIC), the consortium brings together top scientists, architects and engineers, industries and small businesses, state agencies, economic development and workforce training experts, entrepreneurs, utilities, real estate developers, financial institutions, media and advertising agencies, nonprofits and labor organizations.

Originally assembled under the leadership of Syracuse University to compete for the federal Department of Energy Energy Regional Innovation Cluster, NYE-RIC consortium members have found that the collaborations and partnerships formed during their planning process are so strong and potentially fruitful that partners are determined to capitalize on their momentum by strengthening and growing their collaboration.  While New York’s E-RIC proposal, submitted to DoE in May, was very favorably assessed during the review process, the grant was awarded to a consortium based in Pennsylvania.

“The process of assembling the NYE-RIC consortium has proven invaluable,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. ”We have forged new, cross-sector alliances spanning New York state that hold enormous promise for transforming the building innovation process and for setting a new precedent in Upstate-Downstate New York collaboration. We know that our proposal was viewed very favorably by the review panel, and we have every intention to strengthen and grow these ties. What is wonderful about this process is that it has identified multiple, powerful consortia across the country who are willing and ready to move the country forward in a field that is critically important to the future of our nation and world.  We congratulate the Pennsylvania consortium and look forward to contributing to this critical effort.”

Edward A. Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE), spearheaded formation of the consortium not only to generate innovations, but to assure that they would be commercialized and deployed rapidly into buildings of all types. He says that NYE-RIC has the potential to make this a game-changing moment: “We know that our proposal was viewed very highly, and we will continue to cultivate collaboration among the academic, public and private sectors on an unprecedented scale, bringing together all of New York’s strengths, assets and intellectual capital in this critical area of national importance. This is a true upstate-downstate alliance with many partners across the state.”

Central partners in the NYE-RIC consortium include SU, the City University of New York (CUNY), NYSTAR and the SUNY Research Foundation. The Partnership for New York City and CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity joined forces to unite support from Downstate and Upstate, engaging partners from the full range of private and public stakeholders.

“NYE-RIC has become a means of systematizing and strengthening connections among networks of New York’s extraordinary assets,” says Bogucz. “Over the long term, our cross-sector collaboration will enable us to break down the complex set of barriers—including economics, policy, human behavior and technology integration—that have stood in the way of realizing vast reductions in energy use in buildings and of achieving critically needed job creation in a wide range of businesses. Our consortium has the whole package needed to transform the innovation process by integrating research and development, demonstration and deployment, economic development and workforce training.”

“To compete for this federal grant, New York state pulled together an unprecedented coalition of public, private and university institutions in New York City, Long Island and Upstate,” says Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, the organization that recruited the business and real estate members of the project team. “Today’s announcement is a disappointment. But it does not change the fact that New York is in a position to lead the national effort to make buildings more energy efficient and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Our city and state can be a prime mover in one of the most important new global industries.”

“The NYE-RIC coalition–119 partners from across the state–remains uniquely qualified to have a dramatic impact on energy efficiency in buildings around the world,” says Robert M. Simpson, president of the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity in Syracuse. “We have brought together an impressive set of assets that are uniquely New York–world-class university and industry labs, Wall Street financial expertise, access to global media and active support from our partners in the public sector. We will continue to work together going forward.”

“Syracuse and its partners all across New York are national leaders in using building sciences to improve our energy efficiency,” says Francis J. Murray, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). “I know that the unique collaboration that has been created involving New York’s world-class university centers, public sector agencies and our architectural, design and business communities will continue to make New York a leader in building innovations that will help New York and the nation reduce energy waste, minimize our carbon footprint and create jobs.”

NYE-RIC’s centerpiece is a research hub organized in close partnership with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Members include leading academic institutions (Columbia, Cornell, Clarkson, Stony Brook, Pace, and New York universities, and CUNY), industry (GE; IBM; Permasteelisa; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and Arup) and government (NYSERDA and Brookhaven National Lab). Together, they possess unique capabilities for research, development and demonstration of innovations in system integration of energy-efficient technologies and innovations in economics, policy and behavior.

NYE-RIC also leverages the following extensive networks:

• NYSERDA’s 12 workforce training centers across the state;
• the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NYSTAR) network of 10 strategically placed Regional Technology Development Centers to spur growth of established and startup manufacturers; and
• the New York’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) state-wide network of 24 SBDCs to deliver customized, one-on-one expert support to small businesses and entrepreneurs, helping them grow their enterprises by bringing NYE-RIC Hub inventions to market and creating new products and services to drive the green economy.

Considering the potential impact of NYE-RIC’s activities across the range of businesses integrated into the energy-efficient building systems supply chain, the New York State Department of Labor has estimated it could create jobs statewide across the manufacturing, professional services, construction trades, financial services and building services sectors.

“I want to thank Ed Bogucz for bringing these diverse partners from academia, public and private sectors together,” says NYSTAR Executive Director Edward Reinfurt. ”This was a great opportunity for New York state to promote its assets in research, emerging technologies and commercialization, which will lead to growth in our innovation economy. As a member of the consortium, we look forward to collaborating with these partners on future projects to advance energy efficiency throughout the state.”

“It is critical to working people and our environment that the collaborations that were built through the NYE-RIC application continue and strengthen,” says Gary LeBarbera, president of the New York City Building and Construction Trades. “As a city and a state, New York needs to maximize our energy efficiency potential and get our hard-working residents back to work. All the highly skilled men and women of the New York City Building and Construction Trades look forward to continuing to work with the consortium to achieve these goals.”

Registration is now open for the 10th Annual SyracuseCoE Symposium on Environmental and Energy Systems. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Restoring Sustainable, Healthy Communities.” Plenaries, seminars, and panel discussions will explore ways in which professionals working in three sectors—research, industry, and the community—are creating scaleable innovations to address human and environmental well-being in SyracuseCoE’s focus areas of clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, and water resources. Featured speakers, events, and topics include …

• Majora Carter, Syracuse University Lecture Series, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m., Hendricks Chapel. For more information, click here. (Co-sponsored by SyracuseCoE, a kick-off to SyracuseCoE Symposium 2010.)
• Frank Cetera, Small Business Development Center, Onondaga Community College (“Syracuse Green Business Certification Program”).
• Cliff Davidson, LC Smith College of Engineering & Computer Science, Syracuse University (“Reengineering to Establish Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods”).
• John Folan, T. David Fitz-Gibbon Professor of Architecture & Director of the Urban Design Build Studio, Carnegie Mellon University.
• Liv Haselbach, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University.
• Kevin Stack, Northeast Green Building Consulting (US DOE Builder’s Challenge & Ecological Assessment of Buildings).
• Environmental Finance Center at SU Technical Assistance Partnership Forum, featuring Dave Miller, Program Director, USDA Rural Development; Matthew Driscoll, President & CEO, NYSEFC, Kyle Wilbur, Muncipal Management Consultant, NYSDOS, and more.

Syracuse University and Syracuse Center of Excellence (SyracuseCoE) have received four Prius plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV) as part of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.’s (TMS) US plug-in demonstration program. CuseCar, a local not-for-profit community car share provider utilizing alternatively fueled vehicles, also received two cars through the program. Clean Communities of Central New York, the local chapter of the US Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program, is managing a long-term evaluation of the vehicles.

A total of 150 PHVs are being delivered to demonstration program partners across the United States—600 throughout the world—as part of a global program to demonstrate plug-in hybrid technology, educate and inform the public about the cars and capture real-world driving data. The Prius PHV is capable of running on electricity for about 13 miles at speeds up to 62 mph, at which point it operates as a conventional Prius hybrid.

SU, SyracuseCoE and CuseCar received the keys to the vehicles at a news conference hosted at the SyracuseCoE headquarters. In Syracuse, this program will be able to take advantage of electric vehicle charging stations that are being installed by CuseCar as a part of a DOE/ARRA Economic Stimulus Award, managed by the local Clean Cities Coalition. CuseCar is deploying 75 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the Onondaga County area, preparing our community for an increased availability of electric vehicles in the future.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Upstate New York,” says Barry Carr, coordinator of the U.S. DOE’s local Clean Cities Coalition. “Toyota’s Plug-in Hybrids will advance the goal of Clean Cities to reduce our dependence on oil and improve our environment. Central New York has long been a testing ground for new products and technologies, and we look forward to establishing a long-term relationship with Toyota.”

Clean Communities of CNY will be gathering Prius PHV driving data from SU, SyracuseCoE and CuseCar for 12 to 24 months. Each participant group will have two vehicles that will be rotated for use every two months.

As it becomes available, data from the U.S. demonstration programs will be posted on http://www.toyota.com/esq. This readily available data will show how the plug-in hybrid vehicles are being used and how they are performing. As the vehicles gather miles, data such as fuel economy, miles driven, charging times and additional content will be viewable online. In addition, demonstration partners will be sharing data and comparing usage and performance of the vehicles. The information gathered from the demonstration program will be used in the development of the next generation Prius PHV coming to market in 2012.

“Our shared goals of promoting advanced-technology vehicles through demonstration, education and infrastructure development made for a natural partnership between Toyota and the Clean Communities of CNY,” says Jaycie Chitwood, manager of Advance Technology Vehicles, TMS.

“Syracuse University is excited to be a part of this very important research project and to help further advance hybrid vehicle technology,” says Tim Sweet, director of energy and computing management at SU. “Participation in this program will be invaluable in informing our students and the public in general on the benefits of this cutting-edge technology. If this technology can be successfully utilized during our Central New York winters, it can be used anywhere.”

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid is based on the third-generation Prius. The vehicle represents a significant enhancement of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive® (HSD) system. It combines high-output lithium-ion batteries with HSD technology to offer an expanded, fully electric driving mode. The Prius PHV can be recharged in about three hours from a standard 110V electrical outlet, or one and a half hours with a 220V connection.

“SyracuseCoE applauds Clean Communities of CNY for making the case to Toyota that Syracuse is the perfect market in which to test and showcase its plug-in hybrid vehicles,” says Ed Bogucz, executive director of SyracuseCoE. “Our four-season climate offers the opportunity to gather driving data in a variety of conditions, our population is pre-disposed to explore new green and clean technology, and the Prius PHVs will fit right in at the Syracuse CoE, which, along with our collaborators, is already exploring clean transportation options for our community.”

“It is exciting that by becoming members of CuseCar, the community car sharing program, and thanks to the advocacy of Clean Communities and with special thanks to Toyota, the general public has the opportunity to drive and experience the new Toyota EV Plug-in and to be part of the R&D project. Visit cusecar.com and learn how,” says Vita DeMarchi, co-founder of CuseCar.

“NYSERDA is proud to support this effort that will encourage greater use of plug-in hybrid vehicles and help Syracuse reduce both our reliance on fossil fuels and our emissions levels. Through our work with CuseCar and with support from the federal government, we have worked both to reduce emissions and expand the infrastructure needed to operate alternative fuel vehicles,” says Patrick Bolton, senior manager of transportation for NYSERDA. “We are grateful for past federal support from the U.S. Department of Energy and to our entire congressional delegation for furthering our efforts to make New York’s environment cleaner for the future, and to all of our partners in this project, including Toyota and Clean Communities, for making this initiative a reality.”

This is just one of many construction and beautification projects carried out on Syracuse’s Southside and Near Westside neighborhoods during Block Blitz, an annual effort organized by the nonprofit housing agency Home HeadQuarters. In addition to planting flower beds, Near Westside volunteers repaired fences, took out weed trees, painted a mural on the Syracuse Police community “store front,” and more. To read more from the Syracuse Post-Standard, click here.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes. These highly-qualified, multidisciplinary teams will receive a total of up to $30 million to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential market and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach for all Americans. These partnerships will provide technical assistance to retrofit projects and will leverage industry expertise and funding to support DOE’s energy efficiency retrofit programs. One team–Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions (ARIES) led by Levy Partnership, New York, NY–will focus on energy solutions for new and existing affordable housing including factory- and site-built homes. ARIES is a broad based industry team of more than 50 organizations including implementers, product suppliers, and trainers. The ARIES technical team members include SyracuseCoE Patron CDH Energy, Southern Energy Management and SyracuseCoE. For more information, click here.

Writes the Syracuse Post-Standard … Energy consultant Hugh Henderson [of SyracuseCoE Patron CDH Energy Corp.] could be found on a ladder at Live Work Home, 317 Marcellus St., installing monitors on the home’s “green” heating and ventilation technology. “We’re going to measure the performance of these systems in a fair amount of detail,” said Henderson, founding principal of CDH Energy, based in Cazenovia. CDH Energy was hired by SyracuseCoE to install monitors in all three of the innovative green homes being built as part of the Near West Side Initiative. The other two houses are at 619 Otisco St. and 621 Otisco St. Data will be collected on all three houses for three years to document their energy consumption. To read the complete story from the Syracuse Post-Standard, click here.

New York Assemblyman William Magnarelli (D-120), along with the Syracuse Center of Excellence and CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CEO), announced July 19 that five Upstate New York companies are the recipients of fifth-round Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) awards—totaling $246, 475—to promote the commercialization of innovative green and clean technologies. The announcement was made at Syracuse University’s Green Data Center on SU’s South Campus, where technology by one of the recipients, Vette Corp., is being used.

Combined, the projects being commercialized by these companies—thanks to funding secured by Magnarelli—have the potential for creating as many as 111 high-value jobs and tens of millions in new revenue for Central Upstate New York and other Upstate regions over the next five years.

“CAP is a great opportunity for local entrepreneurs who focus on environmentally friendly products to stay in the Central Upstate New York area and commercialize their products,” says Magnarelli. “The renewed emphasis on green and clean products and services will allow Syracuse and its surrounding area to continue to distinguish itself as a leader in the field of environmentally-friendly product production.”

The five CAP award-winning companies and their projects are:

• ACT Bioenergy of Schenectady, N.Y. (www.actbioenergy.com) Potential jobs created/retained: 30-50 within five  years. ACT Bioenergy is producing a commercial-scale, high-efficiency wood pellet/wood chip gasification boiler for use in institutional, commercial and multi-family residential buildings. The design is based on a European gasification boiler that has been proven in Europe and has now been adapted for the U.S. market.  Awarded $50,000.
• Orthogonal of Ithaca, N.Y. (www.orthogonalinc.com)Potential jobs created/retained: 25. Based on more than $1 million in research funded by the National Science Foundation and completed at Cornell University, Orthogonal is commercializing a patent pending, non-toxic photoresist (light sensitive material) for producing organic electronics, including photovoltaics and energy-efficient solid state lighting (OLEDs). Because of the photoresist’s non-toxic nature, as compared to conventional resists, Orthogonal will enable New York electronics manufacturers to produce next generation electronics and gain a higher profit margin with minimal capital investment.  Awarded $50,000.
• Cameron Manufacturing & Design of Horseheads, N.Y. (www.camfab.com) Potential jobs created/retained: 5- 8. Cameron Manufacturing & Design will create a comprehensive commercialization plan for the patented Grid Electrode Precipitator (GEP) (a device to remove air contaminants) that is currently in the final stages of design and manufacturing by Cameron at Clarkson University. It is being beta-tested at the Infotonics Technology Center in Canandaigua, N.Y.  Awarded $46,475.
• Vette Corp. of Ontario, N.Y. (www.vettecorp.com) Potential jobs created/retained: 32. Vette Corp.’s Open Sidecar—branded “Coolcentric”—is a passive “in-row” data center cooling product based on patent pending technology. As of Dec. 2009, five prototype units have been manufactured and installed at SU’s Green Data Center. The current prototype design enables complete neutralization of up to 40kW of heat generated by IT equipment mounted within an IBM NetBay Enterprise rack. In cooperation with SU and IBM, Vette is working through product field tests to gather additional quantitative and qualitative data on performance capabilities and product functionality.  Awarded $50,000.
• e2e Materials of Ithaca, N.Y. (www.e2ematerials.com) Potential jobs created/retained: 4. This project will focus on building e2e’s commitment to Central Upstate New York as the company works on the acquisition, installation, testing and trial of a press and custom tooling to make prototype forms for its petroleum-free, biodegradable composites, including a corrugated “i-core” shape for structural applications, as well as complex shapes like boxes and corners. The proposed pilot scale facility will enable in-house manufacturing of molded products and flat sheets for sale, prototype development of molded building product concepts and molded cubicle wall concepts, and future rapid development of other molded products to respond to partner interest and develop new markets.  Awarded $50,000.

The Commercialization Assistance Program—which over five rounds has awarded a total of more than $1 million to 21 Upstate companies—is made possible by a grant secured by Magnarelli, administered through SyracuseCoE and CenterState CEO. CAP grants are awarded for projects that commercialize new products and services in the fields of indoor environmental quality, water resources and clean and renewable energy—the three focus areas of the SyracuseCoE.

To date, CAP has created or retained more than 152 green and clean technology jobs in New York state. Companies that have benefited from the program can point to new products and services and, in some cases, new companies and expanded operations that are gaining a foothold in this competitive market.

Four of these companies are: O’Brien & Gere of East Syracuse, which thanks to a 2001 CAP grant has successfully commercialized systems for the capture and control of pollutants from industrial processes such as indoor dry material handling, surface coating, electroplating and metal machining; OrthoSystems of Syracuse, which thanks to a 2004 CAP grant has spun off AlloCAS, Inc., a company that sells molecular sensors for the rapid detection of waterborne pathogens and bioterror agents, and has leveraged more than $230,000 in additional R&D funding; NuClimate of East Syracuse, which thanks to a 2004 CAP grant has commercialized its “Q” Air Terminal, expanding its production facility from 4,000 to 15,000 square-feet and reporting $5 million in sales and $4.5 million in orders up to the fourth quarter of 2009; and Isolation Sciences of Williamsville, N.Y., which thanks to a 2008 CAP grant has received a patent for its energy efficient fumehood kit.

“For today’s CAP award recipients, these grants will help to bridge the gap from a smart idea to a great new product and, ultimately, a successful generator of jobs and revenue for the region,” says Robert M. Simpson, president of CenterState CEO. “Together with Assemblyman Magnarelli and SyracuseCoE, we are proud of the jobs and economic impact that this program has already achieved and the promise it holds for the region’s future.”

”SyracuseCoE’s Commercialization Assistance Program is a key stage in our innovation ecosystem model that seeks to take green and clean innovations from laboratories and workshops and into residential and commercial buildings, where they will create energy-efficient and more healthful and productive environments,” says Ed Bogucz, executive director of SyracuseCoE. “None of these innovations would be possible without collaboration. I applaud these companies and universities for working together to develop, demonstrate and deploy urgently needed technologies, as well as Assemblyman Magnarelli and CenterState CEO for their continued support of and assistance with CAP.”

The US Department of Energy (US DOE) has announced a $560,296 grant to a SyracuseCoE Platinum Partner Syracuse University-led project to develop a “Virtual Design Studio.” The project will help building designers evaluate architectural and mechanical options in order to maximize the energy savings of residential and commercial buildings, while ensuring healthy, comfortable, and productive indoor environments. The project–formally the “Integrated Computer Simulation Environment for Performance-Based Design of Very-Low Energy and High IEQ Buildings”–is led by Jensen Zhang of Syracuse University’s LC Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science and Michael Pelken of Syracuse University’s School of Architecture. The project is being developed in collaboration with SyracuseCoe Patron CDH Energy, the Florida Solar Energy Center, and SyracuseCoE. For the full story, click here.

SyracuseCoE-affiliated researchers–experts in SyracuseCoE’s focus areas of indoor environmental quality, clean and renewable energy, and water resources–have been making news for their projects and accomplishments:

• Dr. Karin Limburg, a fisheries ecologist in SyracuseCoE Platinum Partner SUNY ESF’s Department of Environmental and Forest Biology (EFB), has received the College’s 2010 Exemplary Researcher award.
• Dr. Philip K. Hopke, director of SyracuseCoE Platinum Partner Clarkson University’s Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, served on a National Research Council committee that reports that US soldiers in the Middle East are breathing pollution from dust storms, vehicle exhaust, and emissions from open-air trash burning.
• Dr. Donald I. Siegel, a Meredith Professor in SyracuseCoE Platinum Partner Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed chair of the Water Sciences & Technology Board. Click here for more.
• The Post-Standard reported on a SUNY ESF student project supervised by Dr. Giorgos Mountrakis, to launch a weather balloon and test sensors.

What do Syracuse Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, the Bread & Roses Collective House, the Syracuse City School District, and Cornell University’s Dr. Anil Netravali all have in common?

They have been voted Central Upstate New York’s “Green of the Crop”–organizations and individuals whose green ingenuity made them stand out to a panel of sustainability experts.

The “Green of the Crop” competition winners and runners-up were announced April 23 at a ceremony held at LEED-Gold The AMOS Project in Syracuse. The contest was sponsored by The AMOS Project, The Clean Tech Center, CNY Works, Earthsense, the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and CNY, New York’s Creative Core, SyracuseCoE, Syracuse First, and The Post Standard.

For a list of winners, judges, and prize sponsors, click here.

On April 15 and 16, recipients of SyracuseCoE awards for Collaborative Activities for Research and Technology Innovation (CARTI) and Technology Application and Demonstration (TAD) presented their findings to SyracuseCoE’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel. SAC Members–who advise SyracuseCoE on project award applications–are experts in either indoor environmental quality or water resources and hail from universities across the country.

Highlights included plenary sessions by Charles Driscoll, University Professor of Environmental Systems Engineering at Syracuse University and Steven Effler, Director of Research, Upstate Freshwater Institute, and by Myron Mitchell, Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY ESF. A total of 33 research papers were presented by researchers from Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies, Clarkson University, Cornell University, SUNY ESF, SUNY Upstate Medical University, SU, and University of Rochester.

In addition, three TAD projects were presented by North Syracuse firm Air Innovations and Syracuse firms CollabWorx and HAP Control.

SyracuseCoE hosted a visit by National Grid CEO Steve Holliday and members of his executive team on April 14, 2010. Holliday received an overview of SyracuseCoE, as well as updates on regional green and clean tech development, business attraction, innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives, and investment efforts from representatives of the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York, the Clean Tech Center, and National Grid’s Syracuse office.

SyracuseCoE introduces its Funding Guide, an easy-to-use tool for Partners and Collaborators to locate funding sources that address SyracuseCoE’s programming. The guide provides summary information about programs and includes links to the funding source websites. All of these links include information about how to contact program managers.

The guide is divided into five different focus areas: Indoor Environmental Quality, Water Resources, Clean and Renewable Energy, Education and Workforce Development, and Industry Collaboration.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, New York’s Creative Core is looking to highlight Central Upstate New York’s greenest endeavors.

Are you secretly the greenest on your block? Do you know someone who is? Go to www.greenofthecrop.com to nominate yourself, a friend, your family, a business, your neighbor, your school/community organization, and you both could win!

Categories

1) Businesses

• What business, large or small, has the most ingenious green idea, product, or service?
• Does the business produce an innovative green product or service?
• Does it have a greener way of doing business (locally sourcing materials, reducing packaging or waste, a green production line, recycling programs, educating consumers)?
• Does it have a greener way of running its business (car pooling programs for employees, energy efficiency at the workplace)?

2) Educational & Community Organization:

• What school or community group is doing the most to “green the planet”? This category can include an entire school or an individual class, team, or club, as well as any community organization.
• Is the educational or community organization involved in an ongoing green project?
• Has the organization developed a green way of conducting its activities?

3) Individuals or Households:

• Which local person, family, or household is doing the most unique or coolest thing to be green?
• Does the individual or household have a unique or cool green “passion” (extreme recycling, community composting or gardening, green volunteering)?
•  Does the individual or household have an innovative green lifestyle (reducing energy use at home, using clean and renewable energy, sustainable transportation options, eating and buying local products)?

4) Inventor, Innovator, or Entrepreneur
Know a green innovator or inventor? We’re looking for the next big green idea that could be coming out of a research lab, barn, garage, basement, or warehouse in the Creative Core.  Is there a “green Edison” at work in our region?

• Does this inventor, innovator or researcher have a bold new idea that can be the next green product or solution?
• What are the cool new technologies being developed in this region, and who are some of the green inventors and entrepreneurs behind them?
• Prizes
• First place winners in each category will receive $150.00, be profiled in the May 18th issue of GreenCNY magazine, and will receive an invitation to a recognition ceremony.
• Second and third place awards will be given in each category, and they will receive mention in GreenCNY Magazine and an invitation to the recognition ceremony.
• Nominators are eligible for a random drawing to receive a gift certificate donated by local businesses.

Nominations are due April 9, 2010. For further participation and submission guidelines, terms and conditions, and to see the list of organizations partnering on the competition , visit www.greenofthecrop.com.