For Release:             Immediate – March 29, 2016

Contact:                   Jerry Gretzinger, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Relations ­

                           (518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunypoly.edu

ALBANY, NY – In accordance with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s NY-SUN and Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiatives that are expanding New York’s clean energy industry, and in alignment with the U.S. Department Of Energy’s (DOE) Sunshot Initiative to reduce solar energy installation costs to 6 cents per kWh by 2020, the U.S. PVMC, spearheaded by SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly), in 2015 created the Prototype Demonstration Facility (PDF) at SUNY Poly’s Solar Energy Development Center (SEDC), located in Halfmoon, NY. There, SUNY Poly and the U.S. PVMC enable collaboration with both PV module and balance of system industry leaders to advance next-generation PV technologies and enhance deployment, powering the commercial release of the Solar Raceway Wire Management System, which protects the cable leads between modules and inverters to ensure PV system components will continue to work properly for years.

[caption id="attachment_21863" align="alignnone" width="480"] Carport-top PV module installation with MiaSolé FLEX modules and Solar Raceway - wire management system. (Courtesy: Solar Raceway)[/caption]

The strategic vision for building the Prototype Demonstration Facility which enabled the commercialization of Miasolé and Solar Raceway’s Wire Management System evolved through collaboration with the full spectrum of industry stakeholders. The results are a one-of-a kind facility where companies within the consortium have gained a competitive advantage from the opportunity to test and showcase their products and solutions while receiving performance data and technical guidance from the team of PV experts.

The use of Solar Raceway products has led to immediate results for customers because of the labor and material savings they realize during the solar module installation process. More specifically, the wire management system eliminates the need to pull cables through a typical electrical conduit and also reduces the balance of system hardware costs. The Solar Raceway Wire Management System also provides a more modern aesthetic look that appeals to property owners, unlike other cable management solutions, which rely on open wire baskets and are prone to collecting leaves and debris. Typically, PVC wire management only lasts about five years before UV light from the sun makes the material brittle. However, the Solar Raceway Split Conduit System is made of 100% anodized aluminum and is designed to last the life of the photovoltaic installation.

Sal Anselmo, President of Solar Raceway said, “Because of the opportunity PVMC gave us to have our Solar Raceway prototype on an actual test roof at the PDF, we have been able to fine-tune and improve the Solar Raceway tremendously. To have an organization like PVMC helping companies like us test their products and to also receive expert evaluation was extremely valuable. The feedback that we have received from your technical team made all the difference in the world in our product development.  Your team of expert engineers helped us with our prototypes and now we have a wonderful product as a result. Through proof of concept and outdoor reliability testing at the U.S. PVMC Product Development Facility in Halfmoon, New York, the family of Solar Raceway wire management products is now proven to reduce installation costs and lower the cost of ownership.  We are now positioned to begin high-volume manufacturing, and we have an added advantage because of our relationship with PVMC.”

Michael Gumm, Application Technologist with MiaSolé, maker of lightweight, flexible thin-film solar modules, said, “Organizations such as the U.S. PVMC are key to the overall success of the solar industry. It is through partnerships of this sort that companies such as Solar Raceway are able to develop useful products that will succeed in today’s competitive market. We are happy to be the beneficiaries of PVMC’s support through the development of products such as Solar Raceway, which integrates seamlessly with our easy to install solar modules.”

[caption id="attachment_21862" align="alignnone" width="443"] PVMC’s Prototype Demonstration Facility (PDF) (Courtesy: PVMC)[/caption]

“We are thrilled that the PVMC continues to empower its member companies and stakeholders through access to state-of-the-art facilities and know-how, which provide unmatched resources for PV research, development, and deployment and support the Department of Energy’s Sunshot Initiative, in addition to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s ambitious clean energy blueprint,” said Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Chief Operating and Technology Officer of the U.S. PVMC. “As we look to further expand the PVMC’s infrastructure to provide ever greater opportunities to advance PV technologies, PVMC is also pioneering more affordable solar power by tackling installation costs—a two-pronged approach that will serve to make solar power even more accessible for a fast-growing, worldwide customer base.”

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About PVMC The U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC), headquartered in New York State, is an industry-led consortium for cooperative R&D among industry, university, and government partners to accelerate the development, commercialization, manufacturing, field testing, and deployment of next-generation solar photovoltaic (PV) and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) systems. Through our technology programs, advanced manufacturing development facilities, system demonstration, and reliability and testing capabilities, PVMC is a proving ground for innovative solar technologies and manufacturing processes, as well as PV product development and deployment. Further information about PVMC can be found at http://www.uspvmc.org .

About SUNY Polytechnic Institute SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts more than $43 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 4,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) in Troy, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu .

About MiaSolé MiaSolé is a producer of thin-film Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) solar cells and panels. Founded in 2004, MiaSolé has evolved from a Silicon Valley start-up to the world leader in thin-film solar panel efficiency. In its Sunnyvale, CA facility, we have demonstrated 16% module efficiency in production and 18% cell efficiency in the lab. In December 2012, MiaSolé became a member of the Hanergy family. MiaSolé joined Hanergy Thin Film Power Group as MiaSolé Hi-Tech. Hanergy provides unparalleled financial, technical, and sales expertise. Since the acquisition, MiaSolé has continued to increase cell performance as well as develop new applications for our technology. Additional information about MiaSolé can be found by visiting www.miasole.com on Facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/MiaSoleHiTechCorp .

About Solar Raceway For more information about Solar Raceway, please visit SolarRaceway.com .