Building the Future Now

The dream of turning Muskegon into a nationwide resource for alternative energy development is a step closer to reality as Grand Valley State University and the city of Muskegon break ground on the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center.

The center will be a business incubator and education research center, as well as a major demonstration project of energy technologies. Workstage LLC ¿ a joint venture of Steelcase Inc., Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds and The Gayle Company ¿ will build the 25,000-square-foot facility. Workstage helps employers attract and inspire talented people by offering them the world's most user-centered environments at competitive rates in new and renovated buildings. The firm has researched and designed the building concept of the future, creating structures that help improve users' performance, are flexible and that are built at unprecedented speed.

The Muskegon facility will take around 20 weeks to build and should be open in spring, 2003.

The development will be the first commercial project in the world to integrate fuel cell technology, a heat recovery system for heating and air conditioning, solar/photovoltaics, and a nickel metal hydride battery storage system.

'This groundbreaking advances the development of a new industry,' said Seidman School of Business Dean David Mielke. 'By integrating fuel cells, solar/photovoltaics, battery storage systems and other emerging technologies, we will demonstrate for the first time anywhere that alternative and renewable energy systems will play a major role in our economic future.'

Mielke added: 'The applied research in our center will continue the development of alternative fuels derived from biomass and the commercialization of new ideas. Our incubator will help jump-start companies that capitalize on innovation. Conferences and educational programming at the Center will provide the knowledge resource for the foundation of this industry.'

In May, Grand Valley, First Power and Siemens Corp. announced a plan for a long-term partnership focused on research and development of new energy technologies housed at the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center in Muskegon. The center is intended to serve as an international energy technology destination, offering different resources to companies, researchers and scientists throughout the world. The plan calls for a research institute to explore alternative sources of energy, a business incubator to develop energy-related ventures, a resource base, an education and training center, and a conference center.