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Grant Awarded for Solar-Energy Project

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The state of Ohio has awarded Tremco Inc. a $1 million Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program grant in the Advanced Materials category for the company’s role in development efforts related to an integrated photovoltaic roofing system.

Tremco and project collaborators—in particular Xunlight of Toledo, Ohio—are seeking to commercialize a unique, durable, high-performance removable building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing solution targeting the grid-tied commercial marketplace, in a program under which businesses are able to sell excess electricity back to a utility. The project team’s objective is to integrate thin-film, flexible photovoltaic modules into Tremco’s roofing systems. The Alliance OH, city schools will serve as an initial customer for the new roofing system, Tremco said.

The Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program awards grants to accelerate the development and growth of the advanced energy industry in Ohio. The program provides direct financial support to organizations seeking to commercialize new products, manufacturing processes, or technologies, or to adapt or modify existing components or systems that can reduce the cost of advanced energy systems or address technical and commercialization barriers.

The company said the state is well-positioned to support the project as a result of a combination of a financial commitment to solar power, the state’s network of research universities, an integrated supply chain, and an experienced work force.

The project also calls for further research in the development of of “cradle-to-cradle” roofing systems, where the roof is leased to the building owner and at the end of its useful life, it is removed and recycled into a new roof.

Tremco, based in Beachwood, OH, is a commercial building-envelope materials and service provider. The company is a unit of RPM International Inc., based in Medina, OH.