The U.S. Department of Energy has promised $122 million for a new “Energy Innovation Hub” at the Navy Yard. United Technologies and Penn State University will partner to administer the project. The area will function as a living laboratory for developing, integrating and testing energy-efficient building systems. The Navy Yard is an ideal site for this kind of innovation—home to over 200 buildings, the area operates as an independent electric microgrid known as a “virtual municipality.”
The Energy Innovation Hub is a key step towards establishing the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC), a consortium of public and private organizations focused on energy efficiency and workforce development.
For more, visit navyyard.org.