PPG has been selected as one of five industry partners in the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC), a five-year initiative designed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the United States. The initiative is being funded in part by a $129 million grant from the federal government.

PPG’s role in the effort will be to:

• Leverage a $1.5 million grant for research and development in smart glass technology for incorporation into responsive window products, in collaboration with Carnegie-Mellon University’s School of Architecture;

• Provide expertise in the development of integrated glass technologies that will enable a building’s glazing system to better control solar heat gain and visual light; and

• Demonstrate next-generation products from its areas of expertise, such as glazing, roofing, interior coatings, solar power, wind power and other sustainable or energy-efficient products, in the GPIC’s new and retrofitted facilities.

In addition to providing opportunities for the research and demonstration of innovative building products, the GPIC will give PPG a forum to interact with others in the building industry to shape building codes and policies that foster energy-efficient design and implementation.

The funding for the GPIC was awarded to a consortium, organized by Penn State University, comprised of five industry members, 11 academic institutions, two Department of Energy laboratories and several regional economic development agencies and community colleges. The initiative is located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a 1,200-acre waterfront business development that is home to 80 companies, 7,500 employees and 5.5 million square feet of building space. Because the Philadelphia Navy Yard operates its own utility infrastructure and contains numerous commercial, industrial and office building types, it is considered ideal for testing the real-world impact of energy-saving technologies and policies.