RPI, Cornell University and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), have announced the creation of the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) Consortium.
GLASE is poised to transform the way greenhouses operate and cut electricity use for lighting by as much as 70 percent.
John Williams, NYSERDA's director of policy and regulatory affairs, says the seven-year, $5 million project is designed to help identify clean energy opportunities for farm operations via implementation of a holistic greenhouse energy management system "that will both help farmers find and capture new economic opportunities with clean energy, but also help the state realize its clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal."
The consortium says New York State has 720 acres of greenhouses, while agriculture covers approximately 25 percent of land use in the State.
