Plan Includes First Commercial Integration of Five Alternative Energy Sources
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grand Valley State
University, First Power and Siemens Corporation today announced their plan for
a long term partnership that will focus on research and development of new
energy technologies to be highlighted at the "Energy Center of Excellence"
located in Muskegon, Michigan. As a first concrete action, Grand Valley State
University has created a formal working group with several corporations,
including Siemens Corporation and First Power, to explore the development of
an "Energy Center of Excellence" in the Muskegon Lakeshore SmartZone. The
Center would serve as an international energy technology destination, offering
different resources to companies, researchers and scientists throughout the
world. The plan calls for a research institute to explore alternative sources
of energy, a business incubator to develop energy-related ventures, a resource
base, an education and training center, and a conference center.
"The formation of this working group is a vote of confidence in the
citizens and leadership in Western Michigan, and a show of support for our
vision of building the nation's first Energy Center of Excellence," said David
Mielke, dean of the Seidman School of Business at Grand Valley State
University. "Our objectives will be to engage other companies and
organizations in the design and offerings of the facilities and resources we
will offer and to identify different sources of revenue to fund and,
eventually, sustain the development. Every corporation and every individual
in this country has a vested interest in finding new energy sources and new
ways of making existing sources yield better results. We invite other
companies to get involved in this ground-breaking project that will help our
country, and perhaps the world, change the way we view -- and use -- energy."
Mielke adds, "Siemens' expertise in systems integration, technology
leadership, and product research and development assure us that these projects
will be successful. We expect our Energy Center to become a showcase
destination for advances in energy. "
"We believe this Center will become the single greatest source of energy
research and development in the country, attracting people and companies from
throughout the world to study and learn in Western Michigan," said U.S.
Representative Peter Hoekstra, R-Michigan 2nd District.
The development would be the first commercial project in the world to
integrate fuel cell technology, heat recovery system, micro-turbines,
solar/photovoltaics, and nickel metal hydride battery storage system. The
facility itself would be the first distributed energy (electricity, heat and
cooling) system in the world serving a mixed use development.
SOURCE Siemens Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.usa.siemens.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/000728.html
CONTACT:
David Mielke of Grand Valley State
University, +1-616-540-7434; or Paula S. Davis of Siemens
Corporation, +1-212-258-4260
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