Penn State Energy Innovation Hub coming to the Philadelphia Neighborhood

Guest Blogger Clay gives Julie’s nostalgic obsession alma mater a shout out & updates us on the PSU Energy Hub. Read more below!

“End-use-efficiency improvements are the cheapest, cleanest, surest, most rapidly expandable energy option we have…the ultimate limits on this option are…the lack of knowledge by firms and consumers about the opportunities that exist and how to exploit them.”

-John P Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Penn State University has successfully lead a campaign to secure $130 Million in grant funding over the next five years to start an Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.  The Energy Innovation hub will focus on developing technologies and techniques to increase new construction and existing building energy efficiency.  While energy efficiency rarely receives as much press as electricity generation technologies (solar, wind, biomass, etc) the industry sector has proven the most financially practical of the new energy movement.  With more than 40% of US energy used by buildings the potential savings offered by increasing efficiency is massive.  The project is expected to begin by October 30th and will immediately generate 1,200 jobs in the area.