Photo Courtesy of Royce Gene/Center for Economic Transformation/NYCEDC
CALM Energy, Inc., a Belle Harbor-based smart grid startup, is among the companies that are developing resiliency technologies to help small businesses that were impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
By Forum Staff
The City Economic Development Corporation this week announced the beginning of program-wide implementation of Resiliency Innovations for a Stronger Economy, a technology innovation initiative that provides assistance to Superstorm Sandy-impacted small businesses.
According to NYCEDC, through RISE :
NYC, 11 different innovative technology systems will be implemented in small businesses across the five boroughs that have been affected by Sandy to help them prepare for future storms, sea level rise, and other effects of climate change. The resiliency solutions include energy technologies, building systems, and resilient telecommunication networks.
The 11 technologies will share up to $28 million to implement the projects – at no cost to participating businesses. RISE : NYC is managed by EDC.
“Small businesses face unique challenges from climate change, and New York City is committed to helping them become more resilient,” said Daniel Zarrilli, senior director of Climate Policy and Programs and Chief Resilience Officer for the NYC Mayor’s Office. “Today’s announcement that the RISE : NYC program has begun full implementation means that small businesses across the five boroughs will now be receiving innovative resiliency technologies. By supporting small businesses, these technologies are also helping build stronger neighborhoods – a key focus of our OneNYC plan to build a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient city.”
RISE : NYC resilient energy technologies range from software that monitors and controls a building’s energy use to building-scale “nanogrid” systems that combine on-site energy generation and storage. These energy solutions will supply clean, reliable power to keep small businesses up and running even in the event of grid failures, EDC said.
Specific technologies include:
- Bright Power – an NYC-based company that combines solar, energy storage, and co-generation technologies to provide back-up power for critical operational and small business needs during power outages.
- CALM Energy – a Belle Harbor-based startup that deploys an intelligent building management system, integrated with standby generation and commercially available technologies, to provide small business owners with smarter, more resilient buildings.
- Go Electric – a company located in Brooklyn’s Urban Future Lab that will use its Energy Resiliency System to provide uninterruptible electric power during an outage and to monitor and reduce electricity costs for small businesses year-round.
RISE : NYC building system technologies, according to the EDC, will improve the resiliency of critical building components and include modular dry flood-proofing measures, passive daylighting solutions, resiliency audits, and automated flood-protection systems.
Specific technologies include:
- NYC Daylighting – a Rockaway -based and Sandy-impacted small business that will install Solatube Daylighting Systems to capture, transfer, and deliver natural light to dark interior building spaces.
- F. William Brown and Flood Panel, LLC – a consortium of firms led by F. William Brown in Connecticut, that will install Sandwich Plate System Flood Panels to provide small businesses with a layer of protection to keep flood waters out of buildings and allow for continuous business operation with minimal interruption due to flooding. Designed by Flood Panel, LLC, this technology is made from extruded lightweight aluminum alloy filled with a patented polyurethane elastomer to form thin, interlocking, impact-resistant panels that provide a modular flood barrier against water infiltration.
- Geosyntec – a Massachusetts-based company whose OptiRTC technology will monitor flood control data in real time, to control valves in a storm and plumbing systems to prevent critical utility systems from flood inundation.
“Through RISE : NYC, we are able to provide small businesses with innovative technology that might otherwise sit on the drawing boards. By supporting these initial deployments of the Resilient Power Hub, RISE : NYC is giving us the opportunity to prove out the technology – a unique combination of solar, batteries, cogeneration and smart electronics – so that we can then bring it to businesses and building owners throughout the city,” said Bright Power President Jeffrey Pearlman.
For more information on the program, visit rise-nyc.com.
