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Development. The company received another Ben Franklin investment through the U.S. Department of Energy in 2011. CEWA launched in Ben Franklin TechVentures®, the award-winning incubator/post-incubator owned and managed by BFTP/NEP, and has since relocated to Wyomissing. CEWA identified business experts, technical resources, and key industry partners including Ben Franklin client Summit Steel & Manufacturing, Williams Metal Finishing, and the SSM Group, Reading, and the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Summit Steel manufactures CEWA’s solar dishes, Williams polishes the petals and secondary mirrors for the assembly, and the SSM Group provides engineering services to augment CEWA’s staff. The Greater Reading Chamber provided key contacts to assist CEWA in becoming ready to export its dishes.

CEWA’s electric unit installed at Summit Steel will contribute to the company’s power needs.

“Summit Steel & Manufacturing has worked closely with CEWA for the past 18 months, helping to refine the manufacturing process related to the dish and its supporting parts,” said Gary Romig, President of Summit Steel. “This work has created several new jobs at Summit Steel in machining, laser cutting, welding, and assembly. We are excited for the potential of this product and we expect it will have a profound impact on Summit Steel & Manufacturing for many years to come.” Additional financial investments were provided by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Metropolitan Edison Company/ Pennsylvania Electric Company Sustainable Energy Fund, administered by the Berks County Community Foundation. Most recently, Serv Internacional of Mexico City invested in CEWA to assist the company in the final development of its products for commercialization and to distribute its dishes throughout Mexico and Central America.

CEWA’s staff of engineers has grown as the product has been brought to market. The company is preparing to demonstrate its revolutionary dishes on the campus of Penn State Berks. Installation was facilitated with the support of Allied Building Corporation, Albarell Electric, and H.T. Lyons. The product is now commercially available.

“This is an outstanding example of cooperation among companies, economic and community development organizations, higher education, and government to grow local firms that address international market needs,” said CEWA CEO Eisenhuth. “These partnerships will allow CEWA to pioneer an energy technology that will create highly paid, sustainable jobs right here in Berks County.”

“The four CEWA Technologies solar collectors being installed on our campus will offer students and faculty the chance to have real-life As the company was getting started, experience in cutting-edge renewable energy Lehigh University Professor Dr. Sudhakar technology,” said Dr. Paul Esqueda, Senior Neti received two grants that supported Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Penn research on the solar dish construction and State Berks. “These solar concentrator dishes its reflective surface that must perform despite are revolutionary, capable of delivering 33.5 exposure to the elements. These grants were kW of thermal power and 14 kW of electricity. FOR MORE INFORMATION: provided under Lehigh’s Energy Research The solar thermal dish will generate hot water Contact Connie R. Faylor, Regional Manager at Seed and Commercialization Grant programs for the greenhouse on campus. We sincerely Greater Reading/Berks & Schuylkill—Ben Franklin by Pennsylvania’s Ben Franklin Technology thank Ben Franklin Technology Partners for Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, cfaylor@nep.benfranklin.org or 610.390.7116. Development Authority. this opportunity.”

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