PROVIDENCE — Since it was founded in 1949, the Gem Plumbing & Heating Co. hasn’t been afraid to experiment with new technologies.

The company installed its first solar-energy system for a customer in the 1970s. After the solar market collapsed the following decade with the loss of federal tax incentives, Gem moved away from renewable power. But with the implementation of new initiatives to support the market, it started putting up photovoltaic panels again in 2002.

Now, company vice president Larry Gemma says he believes the renewable-power industry can only grow, and he wants to make sure Gem is in the thick of it.

“This is the beginning,” he said. “This is not going to go away.”

As early as next March, Gem will install a 60-kilowatt solar-power system at its headquarters in Lincoln that will not only provide clean power to the company, but will also be used to train some of its 300 workers in green technology.

The $386,000 project will be funded in part by the state. On Monday, the board of directors of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation voted unanimously to award Gem a $115,709 grant from the state Renewable Energy Fund.

Two other projects received funding. The East Greenwich School Department was awarded $59,000 for a 50-kilowatt solar-power system that will be installed on the roof of a new middle school at a total cost of $303,000. The new energy-efficient school will incorporate green initiatives, including the solar panels and a rainwater-harvesting system.

And the state Department of Environmental Management was given $137,500 for a $550,000 project to put up a 100-kilowatt wind turbine at Fishermen’s Memorial State Park in Narragansett. The turbine — much smaller than either of two turbines in Portsmouth or the 100-kilowatt device at the New England Institute of Technology near Route 95 — will provide two-thirds of the power used by the bathhouse and maintenance compound in the park.

But it was the award of the grant to Gem Plumbing that elicited supportive comments from the EDC board. Governor Carcieri, chairman of the board, said he wants more money from the Renewable Energy Fund channeled to private companies that could create so-called green-collar jobs. Gem’s project isn’t just about reducing the company’s energy bill, he said.

“It’s a two-fer,” the governor said. “It’s helping the company move into a whole new area.”

In truth, for the past few years the company has been offering services in solar power, solar hot-water heating, co-generation and energy efficiency, Gemma said in an interview Tuesday. But he expects that side of Gem’s business to grow more rapidly with more support from the state and federal government for renewable energy.

The company expects to install 25 residential solar-power systems next year, along with 10 commercial jobs. Over the next five years, the company estimates the green market to generate $3.2 million in payroll.

Gemma said his company is planning to hire more employees to meet the projected demand for renewable-energy systems.

Key to the expansion of its business is the solar-power system that will be put up on the roof of Gem’s 60,000-square-foot building. The more than 200 photovoltaic panels will be visible to anyone passing by. Gemma said he believes the system will help educate the public and bring in new business.

“It’s critical for us to keep ahead of technology,” he said. “This is where the future is going.”

akuffner@projo.com