Energy efficient lighting for sports stadiums is one of a handful of projects to get a slice of $4.8 million (£3m) of funding announced by the Governor of New York this week.

The cash is meant to help make the state’s buildings more energy efficient and boost its green economy. It will go to technologies ranging from lighting and construction materials to smart buildings and heating and cooling systems.

Ephesus Lighting got $303,000 (£187k) to help create a LED light fixture to replace the metal halide lamps used in many professional sports stadiums, while private research body Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute won $100,000 (£62k) to develop an ‘active control mechanism’ to improve the performance of rooftop wind turbines by reducing ‘chaotic’ wind flows.

The makers of an organic replacement for the plastic and foam insulation used by builders for structural sheathing, Ecovative Design, got $442,000 (£274k) while Mechanical Solutions was given $300,000 (£186k) to create a supercharger for heat pumps to improve their efficiency in cold climates.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said: “As we work to encourage innovation statewide, these public-private partnerships will help homeowners and businesses save money by reducing their energy footprint. This investment will help grow the state’s clean energy economy and better protect the environment at the same time.”

The money has been doled out from the New York state’s Energy Research and Development Authority and is the second of six rounds of funding. In total $25 million (£15m) will be dished out over three years.