Prism Solar Technologies, a Highland-based developer and manufacturer of solar panels and a novel holographic film that boosts their performance, received a $1.5 million grant from New York state last month.
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Announced at a solar conference in San Francisco on July 16, the grant is from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, (NYSERDA). The money comes from NYSERDA”™s Renewable, Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Product Manufacturing program that seeks to provide consumers with greater access to renewable, clean energy, and energy-efficient products by helping manufacturers develop or expand current manufacturing operations within the state.
The money will go toward purchase of manufacturing equipment for Prism’s Holographic Planar Concentrator module production line, scheduled to be in operation here by the end of the year. The line is under development at the company’s recently purchased 93,000-square-foot facility on South Street in Highland.
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“These funds from NYSERDA will help Prism Solar enter into the photovoltaic market with a groundbreaking new product,” Richard Lewandowski, president and CEO of Prism Solar, said in a news release from the company.
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“Prism Solar”™s efforts to create new manufacturing jobs right here in Ulster County promises to provide a much-needed boost to our economy while contributing to the momentum that is transforming the region into a hub for solar innovation,” said Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Ulster/Dutchess, who is chairman of the Assembly Energy Committee. “These state funds will help the company hit the ground running, furthering our vision for a new green economy.”
Funds will go to the purchase of manufacturing equipment for Prism Solar”™s Holographic Planar Concentrator (HPC) module production line, which is slated to be in operation by the end of this year.
Prism Solar plans to employ 100 workers in the next couple of years, increasing to 400 in as soon as five years as the manufacturing line is scaled-up for the holographic film that concentrates light on silicon cells.
For more information, visit prismsolar.com.
