SAN JOSE and BERKELEY, Calif. – June 12, 2012 – The City of San Jose and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) today announced a partnership to accelerate the advancement of clean energy technologies while also helping San Jose and other cities achieve their environmental sustainability goals. The partnership brings together the extensive capabilities of San Jose’s ProspeCT SV, a facility to showcase and validate technologies, with Berkeley Lab’s focus on cutting-edge technology development and applied research.
“We are pleased to partner with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to demonstrate innovative clean technologies that will create new jobs, grow our region’s economy and promote environmental sustainability,” Mayor Chuck Reed said.
The partnership provides a unique and powerful framework to link the research and development strengths of a national laboratory with the environmental and economic leadership of a major U.S. city. Through the partnership San Jose may provide field-testing and commercialization resources to emerging clean technology companies, and partner with Berkeley Lab scientists on a range of technology demonstrations and pilot projects.
“A key priority for both Berkeley Lab and San Jose is to make cities more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable,” said Horst Simon, deputy director of Berkeley Lab. “We see this partnership as an important way to align our research with San Jose’s sustainability goals, and work together towards responding to the energy and environmental challenges of local communities.”
ProspeCT SV (Providing real-time opportunities to showcase and pilot emerging Clean Technologies in Silicon Valley) supports the City’s Green Vision, which includes creating 25,000 clean tech jobs by 2022. The facility will provide a space for companies to connect with private and public investors as well as collaborate with academic and industry partners in Silicon Valley. It will also strengthen the capacity for clean tech research and development.
FLEXLAB, due to open at Berkeley Lab in 2013, will allow researchers to replace any building system or component.
Key to the partnership will be a mutual exchange of ideas and expertise in the application of technology toward next-generation buildings, renewable energy, energy storage and the smart grid, all research strengths of Berkeley Lab. The partnership will provide a critical linkage for clean tech companies between ProspeCT SV and the resources of Berkeley Lab, such as its technology transfer program, FLEXLAB, a series of building systems test beds opening in 2013, and CalCharge, a Berkeley Lab-CalCEF partnership supporting emerging battery companies in California.
FLEXLAB (facility for low-energy experiments in buildings) will be a one-of-a-kind facility open to qualified academic and industry researchers to test just about every aspect of building systems, from windows and lighting to heating, ventilation and shading—and their interplay and seamless integration, which are vitally important to consumers.
“As a scientist, I can say that having a real-world place to evaluate and validate our research—especially one as rich in infrastructure as San Jose—is an unparalleled opportunity and will surely speed up market availability of better technology,” said Ashok Gadgil, head of the Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division.
The Department Of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is a major sponsor of the Lab’s research, development, demonstration and deployment activities in clean energy technology.
San Jose is actively seeking additional industry, investor and academic partners to join in this effort with the City and Berkeley Lab. ProspeCT SV is scheduled to open in Spring 2013 and will be located at 1608 Las Plumas, proximate to downtown San Jose.
ABOUT LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE’S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The City of San Jose’s Office of Economic Development (OED), part of the San Jose Office of the City Manager, catalyzes job and revenue growth, assists business success, connects employers with trained workers, and enhances cultural amenities. For more information, please visit www.sjeconomy.com.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE
From its founding in 1777 as California’s first city, San Jose has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley – the world’s leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, to work and to live. For more information, visit, www.sanjoseca.gov.