NEWS

The Navy Yard in Philadelphia has opened a new facility designed to explore smart energy solutions. The GridSTAR Smart Grid Experience Center, one of several energy initiatives launched by Penn State at the Yard, features examples of energy technologies that can be implemented for building homes, commercial buildings, and campuses that are more power efficient.

The project site in the Navy Yard also includes a smart grid modular home, a flexible indoor-outdoor training facility, electric vehicle charging stations, a battery that helps improve the operation of the electrical grid, and a sustainable storm-water management and native plant landscaping.

David Riley, a Penn State Department of Architectural Engineering faculty member who leads the GridSTAR project says, “The Navy Yard is an extraordinary setting to explore new energy solutions. Having all of these new technologies and partners in one place is a great asset for our region and will help us learn about smart grid solutions together. Having all of these new technologies and partners in one place is a great asset for our region, and will help us learn about smart grid solutions together.”

The GridSTAR Smart Grid Experience Center was launched through grants from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Finance Authority, as well as contributions of materials, equipment, and volunteer expertise from industry partners.

Will Agate, the senior vice president of Navy Yard Development for the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. notes “This is a project built around collaboration.”

Riley adds: “We are particularly proud of the number of Pennsylvania-based businesses that have contributed to the project.”

The GridSTAR center will serve as the headquarters for a series of education programs and workshops on energy technologies and the smart grid.