Solar Roastery Claims The Greenest Beans In NY

by Susan DeFreitas posted February 23, 2012 

The folks at Eldorado Coffee Roasters claim to be “the only green coffee roaster in New York City,” and they’re not talking about the beans. The company recently installed a rooftop solar photovoltaic system at its headquarters in Maspeth, Queens, rated to produce at least 280,000 kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually—enough to knock out the entire electricity bill.

The project was engineered, constructed and financed by Solar Energy Systems (SES), a company headquartered in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, that has done some swift business in recent years servicing the emerging market for commercial solar in both New York and New Jersey. SES will operate and maintain Eldorado’s solar power system, selling the solar power to the roastery at a discounted rate through a power purchase agreement.

The project was paid for, in part, by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, that federal legislation passed in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse that has proven to be a gift that keeps on giving when it comes to renewable energy projects. That assistance, in combination with federal, state and local tax incentives, helped to put Eldorado’s considerable rooftop real estate to work in producing renewable energy in the heart of the city.

Of the project, Francis J. Murray Jr, President and CEO of NYSERDA, said, in a statement: ”By investing in solar energy, the state is not only able to drive down the cost of doing business for Eldorado Coffee Roasters, but also helping to improve power reliability in New York City by reducing demand on the electric grid.” He went on to note that public-private partnerships such as this represent a critical component to New York meeting its renewable energy goals.

The Paper Battery company recieves $200,000 from the Eastern New York Angels, LLC

We are proud to announce that the Eastern New York Angels, LLC, an upstate New York member managed angel investment group, have invested $200,000 in The Paper Battery Company. The funding comes only months after a $1 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Combined, the funding will do a great deal in helping the Paper Battery Company commercialize the PowerPatch(tm), an ultra-thin, integrated super-capacitor that's scalable in voltage, energy and power. The Paper Battery Company is a portfolio company of The Clean Tech Center.

For more information visit http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/morning_call/2012/01/paper-battery-co-lands-200k-angel.html.

NYSERDA grants $300,000 for advancements in deep energy retrofits

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has granted two Ithaca, New York companies, Taitem Engineering and Snug Planet, $300,000 to optimize and promote technologies to improve residential energy performance. The funding is based largely on reducing high upfront costs associated with deep energy retrofits, an efficient retrofitting approach utilizing rigid insulation or spray foam in exterior walls to reduce heat loss. Although deep energy retrofits have proven reductions in energy from 60-75%, high upfront costs serve as a barrier for many homeowners.

With combined experience in the design and application of deep energy retrofits, Taitem Engineering and Snug Planet have their sights on reducing costs by using alternative insulation materials and streamlining the retrofit process.

For more information visit http://dev.ithacaindy.com/article/20120130/two-ithaca-energy-conservation-firms-receive-300k-from-state/.

$248,000 awarded for clean technology commercializtion!

In an announcement made by State Assemblyman William Magnarelli, The Syracuse Center of Excellence and CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, five New York Companies have received significant funding from the Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP). Totaling $248,000, the CAP awards are granted to promote the commercialization of innovative clean technologies.

The five winners of the CAP awards are Ephesus Technologies, a LED lighting design/manufacture company; GreenView Energy Management Systems, who implements turnkey, real-time, remotely monitored data acquisition services for energy commodities (electricity, natural-gas, water, generators, fuel-cells, solar and wind); Rapic Cure Technologies, a formulation and manufacture company of value added energy-curable resins, coatings, inks and adhesives; Synairco, who is commercializing a ultra-efficient, environmentally responsible air-conditioning system that uses solar or waste heat for cooling and dehumidification; and Synex, a developer of control products for steam, hydronic, and thermal fluid heat transfer systems.

We are proud to announce that Ephesus Technologies, GreenView Energy Managment Systems, Rapid Cure Technologies and Synairco are portfolio companies of the Cleantech Center!

For more information visit http://www.esf.edu/communications/view.asp?newsID=1484.