The development of sustainable energy technologies is rapidly growing due in part to such issues as climate change and global interest in the development and deployment of sustainable energy technologies. Interest in sustainable energy has championed the development of emerging technologies that generate and use clean energy more efficiently along with the development of potentially new markets.
Over the last decade, Pennsylvania has been a leader in the development and deployment of sustainable energy technologies. Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) is expected to drive the installation of over 850 MW of solar electric in the state by 2021. Pennsylvania currently has 24 wind farms in operation, which have an installed capacity of 1,334 MW. Thermally-driven biomass heat and power projects are being installed in schools, hospitals, and community centers. High performance construction practices use Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for commercial buildings and ENERGY STAR for residential buildings as environmental responsible ways to construct new and renovate existing buildings.