Congressman Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) recently presented the employees of Moon Township, Pa.-based CENTRIA with $300,000 in federal funds. The funds will assist in the development of integrated solar building panels. “These funds will help us complete research and development, engineering standards and commercialization of BIPV [building- integrated photovoltaics] for standing-seam metal roofs,” says Rick Mowrey, CENTRIA’s director of marketing and business development.
During the check presentation, Congressman Murphy stated: “We [southwestern Pennsylvania] have a dedicated workforce, a strong base of technology and energyfirms, and a university to train scientists and engineers. The Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Solar Energy System, which these funds will help create, is one of the many advanced energy projects being developed in this region.”
Congressman Murphy obtained the funds as part of the 2008 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which passed the House of Representatives in July 2007 and later was included in the omnibus spending bill, which became law last December. For more information about CENTRIA’s BIPV endeavors, see metalmag’s February issue, page 70, or visit www. energypeak.com.