For Release:         Immediate – March 22, 2016

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

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

SUNY Poly Partnership with Japan's New Energy and Industrial Development Organization Drives Investment in and Installation of Emerging ‘Green’ Technologies at World-Class 'Zero Energy Nano' Building

Unique $25M partnership has led to the implementation of energy-saving technologies that will be tested and validated to ensure greater energy efficiency for commercial buildings around the world

[caption id="attachment_21801" align="alignright" width="300"] SUNY Poly’s ZEN building[/caption]

Albany, NY – In support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s high-tech economic and clean energy initiatives for New York State, SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) announced that a $25 million partnership with Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Development Organization has led to the installation of a number of cutting-edge energy saving technologies at the 356,000 square-foot “Zero Energy Nano” (ZEN) building, located at SUNY Poly’s Albany NanoTech Complex. As the collaboration continues, technologies including solar photovoltaics, lighting, fuel cells and smart building energy management systems will be utilized to demonstrate pioneering approaches to power consumption that can enable commercial buildings around the globe to cut down their energy usage, both saving money and reducing pollution.

“Governor Cuomo’s leadership has made New York State a pioneer in clean energy-focused technologies through such efforts as his Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, and SUNY Poly is proud to support the governor’s goals of a sustainable future by marking this milestone in this cutting-edge partnership with NEDO as it provides a powerful platform for the demonstration of innovative energy systems,” said Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Vice President of Entrepreneurship Innovation and Clean Energy Programs at SUNY Poly. “By utilizing SUNY Poly’s advanced facilities to optimize clean energy generation in partnership with NEDO, Shimizu Corp., NYSERDA, and EYP, we are laying the groundwork for the adoption of technologies that can transform the way we think about buildings and decrease the amount of energy they require.”

“We are thrilled to commemorate this important collaboration, which is part of our international strategy to provide our partners with the ability to accelerate energy efficiency solutions,” said Ichiro Tsubota, Director General of the Energy Conservation Technology Department, NEDO. “Being able to make use of SUNY Poly’s ZEN building as a proving ground for innovative technologies will further enable NEDO’s state-of-the-art equipment to be deployed for the establishment of next-generation zero energy buildings for a more sustainable development path.”

The global partnership, first announced by Governor Cuomo in September 2014, includes SUNY Poly; New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan’s largest public research and development management organization which is operating through engineering firm Shimizu Corporation; the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); and design firm EYP. Together, this public-private partnership is leveraging SUNY Poly’s ZEN building, which will be one of the largest mixed-use, zero energy facilities in the world, to install, commission, and provide a test-bed for ultra-high energy efficient technologies, including Smart Building Energy Management Systems (Smart BEMS), smart lighting that automatically adjusts in real-time to the environment, a photovoltaic power generating system, and a phosphoric-acid fuel cell, among others that can then be implemented in buildings around the world. As these technologies are proven to reduce energy loads and optimize onsite energy generating opportunities, the results will be widely disseminated to maximize their potential impact, and the technologies can be commercialized to further contribute to the development of energy efficient buildings, or groups of buildings, in New York State and beyond.

To showcase these clean-energy-based research, development, and commercialization efforts, SUNY Poly hosted a workshop featuring representatives of the major project partners and other organizations, including representatives from Shimizu Corp., NYSERDA, EYP/The Weidt Group, National Grid, and the New York Power Authority, who discussed building successful public/private partnerships, exploring emerging technologies, tools, and processes in net-zero building design, and offered attendees insight on integration of existing or planned policies at the state, national, and international level. Additionally, a ZEN building tour provided attendees with the chance to see a number of installed technologies first-hand and learn about how each will provide researchers with numerous data points that can be used to gauge and enhance their efficacy.

John B. Rhodes, President and CEO of NYSERDA, said, “Increasing energy efficiency is a key goal of Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision to curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the strain on the state’s energy system. The innovative, energy-saving technologies used in the ZEN building are a great example of how New York’s strategic energy investments are supporting business growth and development, and will help the state achieve a clean energy future.”

As part of the collaboration, NEDO has entrusted Shimizu Corporation, a globally recognized architectural, civil engineering and general contracting firm, with implementation of NEDO’s day-to-day work related to the project. SUNY Poly is jointly collaborating with NEDO and Shimizu to install and integrate the technology at the ZEN building, and they will continue to work closely with EYP, the designer of the ZEN building and a global provider of comprehensive building design, research, and related consulting services.

Tom Birdsey, President & CEO of EYP said, “EYP is thrilled to play a key role in this first-of-its-kind international partnership to enable the high-performance design that is expected to achieve 21 ^st Century progress. Projects like the ZEN building provide an exciting opportunity for us to take advantage of leading-edge technologies to transform the basic buildings of today into active, high-tech energy stewards of the future to assist with tackling the energy challenges that we face.”

SUNY Poly’s ZEN building was designed to generate much of the energy that it uses each year. It houses the New York State Data Center and serves as an international showpiece and “living laboratory” for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies while also providing a platform for the analysis of the impacts of sustainable design. The smart use of energy is critical for a wide variety of building tenants and stakeholders who rely on SUNY Poly’s ecosystem for innovation-based educational, research, and workforce training opportunities.

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About NEDO. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, NEDO, is a public scientific and technological research development organization that promotes research and development as well as the dissemination of industrial, energy, and environmental technologies in Japan. NEDO seeks to address energy and global environmental problems and enhance industrial technology, and the organization is cooperating to implement the ZEN project with Shimizu Corporation and deploy their new technologies such as Smart BEMS, daylight and human factors control for lighting and HVAC, and fuel cells, among others. For information, visit www.nedo.go.jp/english/.

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 NYSERDA.NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA professionals work to protect the environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York State since 1975. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs and funding opportunities, visit nyserda.ny.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.

About Shimizu. Founded in 1804, Shimizu is a Japanese-based, global provider of services in the building, civil engineering, and construction arenas, with know-how that includes electric power generation and consultancy; construction planning, maintenance, and facilities operation; regional development research, planning, design, supervision, and consultancy; and financial services. For information, visit www.shimz.co.jp/english/index.html.

About EYP. EYP is a global provider of comprehensive building design, research, and related consulting services to a broad range of markets, including education, government, healthcare, and corporate. With employees located across the country in twelve offices, it is a recognized leader in high-performance design for all of the key markets that it serves. Prominently ranked on numerous industry “best of” lists, EYP successfully delivers expertise-driven services to clients around the world. www.eypae.com.