HIGHER EDUCATION : FEATURED STORY

NEW HAVEN MAKES GREEN HISTORY WITH 400KW FUEL CELL

360 STATE STREET, 1ST LARGE SCALE RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION OF FUEL CELL WORLD-WIDE

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — (June 1, 2010) – Connecticut has just made green history with the installation of a 400 kilowatt fuel cell at 360 State Street, a new mixed-use 700,000 square foot development in the heart of New Haven’s downtown. The application marks a groundbreaking shift in the United States’ use of clean energy technologies. “360 State is the first large-scale residential installation of a fuel cell in the world,” explains Jennifer Gangi, Program Director, Fuel Cells 2000, a nonprofit environmental organization. She notes that until now, “the residential usage has been more akin to a 5kW cell in individual homes.”

The fuel cell, a renewable power source, will provide combustion-free power to the 500 residential units, common areas and retail spaces within the building. It will meet nearly 100% of the building’s electric needs as well as provide thermal energy for space heating, domestic hot water and the swimming pool. The application of the fuel cell at 360 State Street is estimated to reduce the building’s carbon emissions by 790 metric tons annually when compared to the U.S. EPA eGrid emissions factor for non-baseload generation in the New England ISO utility system.

“On-site fuel cell technology represents the future of electricity generation in this country,” says Bruce Becker, President, Becker + Becker, the building’s developer and architect. “Traditionally, large capacity fuel cells are utilized at schools, hospitals, and other energy-intensive facilities but multi-family residential buildings represent a perfect – heretofore uncultivated – opportunity for fuel cell technology because of their ability to continually utilize the fuel cell’s process heat in the form of hot water and space heating demand.” In addition to the fuel cell, 360 State incorporates a spectrum of energy efficiency measures. The building’s performance will be tracked in real-time and available publicly via a web portal and lobby display, showing electric, natural gas, renewable energy, and water consumption patterns. Utilizing the latest innovations in smart grid technology, tenants will be able to track their own water, electric, and thermal energy usage; they will also be able to participate in a regional demand response program, helping to shed load from the utility grid when it is peaking.

"This is the future of development," said New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. "We are committed to making New Haven a cleaner and greener place and this project is a great reflection of these efforts.” The City currently has 12 LEED certified buildings, second only to Boston in New England. Echoes Lise Dondy, President of the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF): “360 will serve as a model for a new application for fuel cells -- with the potential to grow fuel cell manufacturing jobs in the state while also having a positive environmental impact."

With its break-through utilization of fuel cell power and range of efficiency measures, 360 State has become a new green building model not only for Connecticut, but also for the multifamily housing world. It is a certified LEED Platinum Plan, the first in the nation to be recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council in the Pilot Neighborhood Development Program for exemplifying the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green design.

The 360 State Street fuel cell required a large upfront investment by the primary investor in the building, The Multi-Employer Property Trust (MEPT), a Union Pension fund committed to responsible property investing. The project received a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund to cover nearly half the cost of the fuel cell unit. This assistance, in addition to the annual energy savings the fuel cell will produce, allow for a payback of 5.5 years.

About 360 State Street:
One of the greenest communities in the nation, 360 State Street is a mixed-use 700,000 square foot development in the heart of downtown New Haven. The project is a certified LEED Platinum Plan, and is the first residential building in the world to receive a 400 kW fuel cell, which will provide for nearly 100% of the building’s electric needs as well as provide thermal energy for its heating and hot water requirements. The development, currently being built by Suffolk Construction, consists of a 25 -story residential tower with 500 rental units sitting atop a 4-story parking garage and ground floor retail -- with plans to include a full service grocery store, bike shop, day care and office space. In-building amenities include a fitness center, library, pool, green roof, children’s playroom and lounge rooms. Located adjacent to the State Street train station, a major commuter gateway, 360 State is also accessible by all three main CT Transit bus stops and ideally situated within blocks of Yale University, schools and the city's best shops and restaurants.

360 State is managed by Bozzuto Management Company, and is now accepting reservations on residences ranging from studios to expansive three-bedroom penthouses with terraces; move-ins anticipated for early August. For more information, please visit www.360StateStreet.com or call 203.865.3600.

About UTC Power:
UTC Power is part of United Technologies Corp. (UTC), which provides energy-efficient products and services to the aerospace and building industries. UTC is a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index each year since it was launched in 1999. Based in South Windsor, Conn., UTC Power is the world leader in developing and producing fuel cells that generate energy for buildings and for transportation, space and defense applications. For more information, please visit www.utcpower.com

About the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF):
CCEF was created by the Connecticut General Assembly and is funded by the electric ratepayers. CCEF’s mission is to promote, develop and invest in clean energy sources for the benefit of Connecticut’s ratepayers in order to strengthen Connecticut’s economy, protect community health, improve the environment, and promote a secure energy supply for the state. CCEF is administered by Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-public authority. For more information on CCEF, please visit www.ctcleanenergy.com.