Photo credit: Staff
NYPA Installs Clean Energy Fuel Cell at White Plains Office
By: Lenny Girrier
Published: March 03, 2010
The New York Power Authority has established a Sustainability Action Plan for 2010-2012. One of the first actions is the installation of a clean operating fuel cell at the NYPA office at 123 Main St. During the “start-up” ceremony, NYPA President and CEO Richard Kessel told Mayor Adam Bradley that the next fuel cell installation would be at White Plains City Hall. A date for that future installation has not been set.
The fuel cell is a demonstration model of a new generation of fuel cells (PureCell System) developed by South Windsor, Conn.-based UTC Power, a division of United Technologies Corp. It is expected to generate 200 kilowatts continuously, or about 1.6 million kilowatt-hours annually, to supply approximately 20 percent of the NYPA building’s annual energy requirement. Waste heat from the unit will be used to heat and cool the office’s lobby areas. The fuel cell’s operation is expected to offset 1,116 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Sub Head: How the Cell Works
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air to produce electricity, heat, and water. In the UTC Power PureCell System this is accomplished in three stages. Natural gas is fed to a processor where it is reformed to hydrogen gas. In a fuel cell stack the hydrogen gas and air are combined in an electrochemical process that produces direct current (DC) power, pure water, and heat. The byproduct water is utilized in the operation of the power plant. The usable heat is available for other energy requirements such as hot water, space heating, air conditioning and cooling. In the final stage, the DC power is conditioned to high quality alternating current (AC) power output.
Sub Head: The Sustainability Plan
According to NYPA the term “sustainability” refers to the practice of meeting economic, environmental and social needs in ways that do not harm future generations. The new plan, titled “Generating Sustainability,” is comprised of five sections representing NYPA’s major areas of activity: workplace, community, environment, marketplace, and operations. The plan includes 21 key focus areas ranging from health and safety to stakeholder engagement to climate change adaptation.
In 2006, the NYPA White Plains office building received Gold-EB (existing building) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Program for performance in the areas of sustainable site development, energy efficiency, water savings, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. NYPA also installed a solar system and microturbine that generate energy used in the building.
Among the planned focus areas for 2010-2012, NYPA will continue attention to Green Workspaces the keep work environments healthy for NYPA employees and building visitors. The office uses environmentally friendly cleaning products and materials. In addition, the plan seeks to develop green guidelines for office renovations, which will incorporate LEED Commercial Interior standards that are being implemented in the renovation underway on the building’s fifth floor. The White Plains office building is viewed as a model for other business and government agencies in the region to follow.
The NYPA is a public agency that uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity.
For more information about NYPA visit nypa.gov; UTC Power visit utcpower.com