New York Sun Works Center for Sustainable Engineering believes in trying to shape a world where the land, air, and water are no longer damaged by unsustainable practices in the agricultural and energy industries. The dual mission of the organization is to develop sustainable technologies for the production of food, clean water, and energy, and to raise public awareness of sustainable technology through demonstration projects, seminars, articles, and films.
New York Sun Works designed and built The Science Barge on the Manhattan waterfront in 2006, and operated the facility for three years. The Science Barge was the first demonstration of high yield, commercial grade urban food production with near zero net carbon emissions. Off-grid and off-pipe, the hydroponic greenhouse on The Science Barge was powered by wind and solar, heated with vegetable oil, and irrigated by rainwater. The barge has been featured by National Geographic, Science, Dan Rather Reports, ABC World News, Le Monde, Urban Land, Sustain, and Good, among dozens of other national and international media. The Science Barge is currently operated by Groundwork Hudson Valley in Yonkers, NY.
Through a partnership with The Greenhouse Project, New York Sun Works is deeply engaged in the creation of a rooftop version of the Science Barge at PS 333 in Manhattan. Planned for completion in the summer of 2010, the Sun Works Center at PS 333 will function as a hands-on science classroom for students in grades K through 8. After school, the facility will serve as a training center and a lead example for similar sustainable technology programs at other area schools.
New York Sun Works is also engaged in a variety of other projects and activities, including the development of a series of documentary films and internet case studies on aquaculture techniques from around the world, with the object of identifying and fostering the most sustainable models.
