PITTSFIELD — A small green energy company that is a member of the Berkshire Innovation Center has received $170,000 in state funding for a project that it says will create 17 full-time jobs.
SolaBlock Inc., which is based in Easthampton but has an office in Pittsfield, has been cleared for participation in the state's Economic Development Incentive Program by the state's Economic Assistance Coordinating Council, and has received $170,000 in investment tax credits.
SolaBlock is a developer and manufacturer of the Solar Masonry Unit, a product that contains a photovoltaic cell embedded in a masonry block, which protects it from the elements. The product can be used on the exteriors of buildings to create renewable solar energy for the structure.
The company plans to create 17 new full-time jobs, retain four as full-time employees and invest $625,000, according to a news release. SolaBlock has also applied to the city of Pittsfield for a five-year tax increment financing package that is worth $35,910, and is planning to lease a building within the city for the project's final assembly.
SolaBlock's project was one of seven proposals from around the state that the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council recently approved for participation in the EDIP program, the release said. Four of the seven projects are located in gateway cities like Pittsfield.