CT Wins 10% Of Federal Energy Research Grants

Companies in Connecticut have won more than 10% of the available funds in the latest round of federal energy research grants. The stimulus cash will fund research into energy efficiency projects. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

The federal Department of Energy offered the funding to competing projects from around the nation. Of the $92 million available, two Connecticut companies won more than $11 million. United Technologies was the recipients of three of the grants and it will use the cash to develop new air conditioning technology, among other green projects. One project will focus on a new highly efficient air conditioning system for hot and humid regions, using a liquid desiccant and a vapor compression cycle. Another HVAC project run by the corporation will work with supersonic technology to develop a new type of compressor.

UTC’s Pratt & Whitney division will be involved in the third project, developing a new low-flow battery, designed to be many times more efficient than current technology. In the same round of grants, Proton Energy Systems of Wallingford benefits from $2 million to develop new energy storage devices. Proton is a leader in fuel cell research.

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.