PITTSBURGH - PPG Industries has been selected as one of five industry partners in the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC), a five-year initiative designed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the United States. The initiative is being funded in part by a $129 million grant from the federal government.

PPG's role in the effort will be to leverage a $1.5 million grant for research and development in smart glass technology for incorporation into responsive window products, in collaboration with Carnegie-Mellon University's School of Architecture. PPG will also provide expertise in the development of integrated glass technologies that will enable a building's glazing system to better control solar heat gain and visual light. The company will also demonstrate next-generation products from its areas of expertise, such as glazing, roofing, interior coatings, solar power, wind power and other sustainable or energy-efficient products, in the GPIC's new and retrofitted facilities.

The funding for the GPIC was awarded to a consortium, organized by Penn State University, comprised of five industry members, 11 academic institutions, two Department of Energy laboratories, and several regional economic development agencies and community colleges.