New York Solar Thermal Consortium announces Solar Thermal Energy Adoption Roadmap

While 42 million solar thermal systems have been installed worldwide, the U.S. has been slow to adopt this technology. However, the U.S. sentiment is changing. As the nation’s focus on renewable energy continues to grow exponentially, the expectation is that so too will the adoption of solar thermal technology (which include solar air and water heating). As such, leading solar thermal companies around the world are looking to establish production facilities in the U.S. Most states will be aggressive in trying to attract new business, especially given recent business climate across the country. As such, individual states will have to compete and the window of opportunity will be small for them to attract these solar thermal companies. New York State (NYS), a first mover, is heavily focused on driving its solar thermal industry development. This new industry will create manufacturing and high skilled jobs and drive the development of a new sustainable industry.

The Solar Thermal Consortium (STC) is working to make New York State a leader in this surging solar thermal industry. As part of its initiatives, the consortium is developing the Solar Thermal Roadmap, which will identify the roadblocks and create a path to spur increased development, investment, manufacturing, sales and deployment of solar thermal technologies in the state.

The STC is led by the collaborative efforts of Clarkson University’s Center for Advanced Materials Process (CAMP), a NYSTAR Center for Advanced Technology (CAT); the New York Solar Energy Industry Association (NYSEIA); The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) and Droege & Comp., an international management consulting company with a Competence Center Energy focused on renewable energy. The STC also brings together a broad representation of industry professionals from closely related industries (such as plumbing, heating, cooling, utility, and roofing companies), labor unions, government representatives, regulatory entities, and public advocates.

The Goals and Visions of the STC:

• Make New York the national leader in research and development, deployment, and manufacturing of solar thermal technologies
• Create an industrial/academic/governmental partnership to cultivate next generation solar thermal technologies
• Train the workforce to manufacture, install, maintain and repair solar thermal systems
• Increase the residential and commercial adoption of solar thermal technologies for heating and cooling needs
• Identify existing assets and form a cohesive network from current and potential partners

The Solar Thermal Roadmap will comprehensively identify current NYS parties and resources that will contribute to the roadmap implementation

Key parties will include companies, universities, organizations, associations, and partnerships that aid in the successful implementation of the Roadmap

The Solar Thermal Roadmap will identify key companies NYS would like to attract to the state6. Create a NYS industry marketing plan to execute for the solar thermal industry

Create a NYS industry marketing plan to execute for the solar thermal industry

Identify industry research needs for universities and set a university research plan in motion

Short URL: http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/?p=1709

Posted by admin on May 28 2010. Filed under Solar Thermal Industry News, U.S.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry