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Pvilion | July 2026 | By Julia Fowler
Brooklyn-based clean tech to develop off-grid power solutions to help achieve New York’s transportation goals.
Last month, Brooklyn-based clean tech manufacturer, Pvilion, launched a New York State initiative to scale its Solar Powered Integrated Structures (SPIS) to help achieve the state’s transportation goals by powering off-grid medium and heavy duty equipment.
This pilot project will help achieve New York’s clean transportation goals while maintaining grid reliability and affordability. The project will accelerate the electrification of construction and landscaping equipment by effectively eliminating the need for diesel generators for charging in off-grid settings.
Through the program, Pvilion and a few other select companies will help advance solutions that enhance grid flexibility, meet energy demands, and lower costs for New York residents.
Electric equipment and vehicle solutions are only useful if they can be charged efficiently. It is commonly misunderstood that the transition to electric equipment does not automatically eliminate the need for fuel burning engines. In reality, diesel generators are often used to charge electric equipment in remote applications. This pilot aims to address the barriers faced with the transition to off-road electric equipment.
The largest market barriers to increasing adoption in New York State include the following.
- The existing power grid cannot accommodate electric charging patterns at scale
- Upfront prices are often more expensive than equivalent fuel-burning alternatives
- The continued need for rigorous testing and data collection in NYS use-cases
Pvilion’s solution reduces these gaps directly by advancing practical, scalable options that improve the adoption of electric equipment, while lowering the impact on the electric grid, and maximizing environmental benefits in urban and rural environments across New York State. These settings will feature electric construction equipment rental charging in the city and campus landscaping equipment charging in Upstate New York.
The Pvilion SPIS technology will be implemented as a modular, semi-permanent mobile structure that can be relocated and scaled as needed. It will include shelters that utilize Pvilion’s proprietary lightweight solar-powered fabric, low and high voltage mobile battery systems, and charging hubs that can help improve grid flexibility and access while reducing stress on the electric grid.
This pilot will feature a rural location as one of the primary test sites. Pvilion will partner with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to provide its Solar Powered Integrated Structures (SPIS) for agricultural equipment charging in upstate New York near the university. RPI’s involvement will include student-led research with hands-on engineering, product design, and data analysis engagement from students.
Additionally, Pvilion will partner with Westchester Tool Rentals to provide its SPIS for electric power tool charging in an urban environment.
The main goals of the SPIS project will be to provide a viable solution that will provide a microgrid that uses the existing grid as reserve back up for charging, demonstrate equivalent electric equipment for agricultural and construction applications and analyze economic feasibility (including a potential cost savings of 80-95%, compared to alternatives), and collect data and create case studies to support future replication and scaling of the SPIS solution in other relevant fleets across NYS.
“We are excited to help with this initiative to remove barriers to increasing adoption of off-road electric alternatives, while lowering impact on the electric grid in New York,” said Pvilion CEO, Colin Touhey. “The goal is to provide a proof of concept that will accelerate the adoption of electrification anywhere, without the need for fuel or the grid. We’ll be manufacturing these systems in our Industry City headquarters, so it’s a great opportunity to help support local initiatives.”
To learn about the full project, click here.
About Pvilion
Pvilion is a New York-based dual-use technology company that specializes in solar-powered fabric products and alternative power solutions. Its offerings range from self-powering expeditionary military tents for the Air Force to long-span industrial buildings and hangars for agriculture and aviation, and off-grid charging canopies for construction rental centers, among other applications. With over 50 years of combined expertise and field-proven technology. To get in touch about a power solution, visit Pvilion’s website at www.pvilion.com.
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