Maffei announces $500,000 for SyracuseCoE projects to improve energy efficiency, indoor environments

Monday, December 7, 2009, By News Staff

Carissa Matthews
(315) 443-3507

U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei (NY-25) today announced that Syracuse Center of Excellence (SyracuseCoE) will receive $500,000 for research and development projects in energy-efficient innovations for healthy buildings. Maffei secured the funds from the U.S. Department of Energy.

“Syracuse is emerging on the global stage as a leader in this field because we have such amazing institutions as SyracuseCoE. I’ve been proud to bring energy experts, such as Energy Advisor to the President Carol Browner and Energy Secretary Steven Chu, to SyracuseCoE,” says Maffei. “The field of clean energy and technology is growing, but in this economic climate it is also extremely competitive. I am committed to be a champion for SyracuseCoE, because the positive contributions it makes to our region and our nation deserves national recognition and support.”

The new funding will support SyracuseCoE projects that will be conducted in multiple facilities, including the center’s new headquarters building and homes and offices in Syracuse’s Near Westside neighborhood. The SyracuseCoE HQ includes one-of-a-kind laboratories for studies of energy and indoor environmental quality. Syracuse’s Near Westside Initiative includes SyracuseCoE projects to evaluate new green technologies in a variety of building types, including single-family homes, offices and mixed-use commercial/residential buildings.

“Our partners have established a unique combination of facilities that enable pioneering research and development on energy and indoor environmental quality in buildings,” says Ed Bogucz, SyracuseCoE executive director. “We thank Congressman Maffei for securing funds that will enable us to address the global challenge of reducing energy use while also providing healthy indoor environments in homes, schools and offices. Our efforts are certain to strengthen the reputation of our region as an international leader in the field and to create jobs locally for years to come.”

The projects will evaluate opportunities to incorporate emerging energy and IEQ technologies, such as power generation from renewable sources, including sun, wind and biomass; systems that combine heating, cooling and power generation; active building façades; natural ventilation; and under-floor air distribution. The results of each study will be disseminated to the public as case studies, including educational displays at the SyracuseCoE HQ.

The projects focus on the twin global challenges of reducing energy use and improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ). More than 70 percent of electricity and more than 40 percent of energy consumed in the United States is used to heat, light, ventilate, cool and power buildings. Poor IEQ in buildings causes adverse impacts on occupants’ performance and/or health, which are estimated to cost the U.S. economy $60 billion annually. A combination of rising public concerns—including the impact of buildings on global climate change, the cost and availability of traditional energy sources, and the effects of poor IEQ on human health and performance—drive the need for innovations that increase energy efficiency of buildings while simultaneously improving IEQ for occupants.