Five New York state companies receive funding from Syracuse CoE’s Office for Industry Collaboration for projects aimed at improving air or water quality

Five New York state companies receive funding from Syracuse CoE’s Office for Industry Collaboration for projects aimed at improving air or water qualityMarch 19, 2007Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

The Syracuse Center of Excellence Office for Industry Collaboration (Syracuse CoE OIC) announced today that five New York state companies have received a total of $650,900 in merit-based Technology Application and Demonstration (TAD) awards for projects designed to improve air or water quality in built and urban environments. The awards are made possible through funding to the Syracuse CoE from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secured by U.S. Rep. James T. Walsh. The announcement was made at Air Innovations in North Syracuse.

The five companies were competitively selected based on their proposals for yearlong projects that demonstrate the “first proof of principle” or “reduction to practice” phase of a new product or service development associated with air and water quality. Projects began on March 1 and will run through Feb. 29, 2008.

“Our region possesses the unique expertise to solve global problems relating to energy and the environment,” says Walsh. “The innovations developed by the Syracuse Center of Excellence partners will not only benefit the environment, but create jobs, generate revenue, and open up opportunities for new and growing businesses.”

“The Office for Industry Collaboration strongly believes that the establishment of joint partnerships among government, the research community and the private sector is key to accelerating the research and development of new technologies applicable to built and urban environments and leading to their introduction into the marketplace,” says Sandy Downey, executive vice president of the OIC.

“TAD project selection is driven by the desire to achieve significant and measurable improvements in human and environmental health and performance and the Syracuse CoE objective to simultaneously promote economic development and job creation throughout the region. These five projects are innovative and have great potential to meet both TAD objectives,” Downey says.

The TAD recipients are:

Air Innovations of North SyracuseProject directors: Larry Wetzel and Cheryl GressaniCollaborating Partner: Clarkson UniversityAward amount: $150,000Project Title: “Demonstration of an Integrated Energy Recovery Ventilator for Improved Indoor Air Quality and Energy”Project summary: The project will field test an integrated energy recovery ventilator in the homes of 45 individuals in Central New York with asthma or other respiratory diseases to determine if reductions in environmental pollutants and disease symptoms occur. The project includes a component that is funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

HAPControl LLC of SyracuseProject director: Lew DalyCollaborating partners: Cornell University, Triad Technologies Inc., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Composite Manufacturers Association and NYSERDAAward amount: $150,000Project Title: “Develop EPA/ETV verification protocol draft for cartridge-based biofiltration systems”Summary: The goal of this project is to conduct an independent performance verification that is needed to commercialize a new line of “Bio-Furniture” that was created to eliminate hazardous air pollutants generated during furniture manufacturing.

Isolation Systems Inc. of TonawandaProject director: Charles AkersCollaborating partners: Air ISO Inc., Graver Technologies, R.P. Fedder Corp. and Syracuse UniversityAward amount: $50,900Project title: “Innovative ductless split system with air purification capability for bioaerosol and VOC contaminants plus HVAC capability for human thermal comfort”Summary: The project will integrate unique air purification and room air management systems with a ductless split “fan-coil” system that can be deployed in medical facilities such as airborne isolation rooms or ICU/ surgical suites.

OrthoSystems of SyracuseProject director: Peter KentAward amount: $150,000Project title: “A distributed system for water quality monitoring”Summary: The project will deliver a prototype instrument that will automatically measure coliform bacteria and free chlorine residual in drinking water in real-time, providing water system managers the ability to monitor and rapidly respond to alert situations.

Phytofilter Technologies of Saratoga SpringsProject director: Martin MittelmarkCollaborating partner: Syracuse UniversityAward amount: $150,000Project title: “Air cleaning technologies for indoor air quality: growing fresh and clean air”Summary: The project will test the performance of a NASA-developed, plant-based system that removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air and converts the VOCs into food sources for the plants.

The Syracuse CoE is a federation of more than 140 firms and institutions that collaborate to create innovations to improve built and urban environments. Partners in the Syracuse CoE collaborate in research, development and education projects relating to clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, human health and performance, and healthy buildings and water resources.

The Syracuse CoE OIC leads the initiative to promote economic development in the cluster of energy and environmental systems firms located in the 12-county region at the center of Upstate New York. The OIC is an independent, nonprofit corporation chartered by New York State in 2000.