May-June 2009

From: CHP Thrives in NYC

Distributed Energy Heats Up in New York

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New York is pursuing its conservation efforts by embracing the benefits of distributed energy in both public and private ventures. Mayor Bloomberg made it official with the release of PlaNYC, and the plan is getting broad support from agencies such as NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority). Moreover, private enterprise such as Office Power LLC and United Technologies Inc., are developing CHP projects throughout the city.

Launched in 2006, New York’s PlaNYC calls for generating 800 MW of power with CHP, by 2030. CHP production stood at 118 MW in mid-2008. Much of the motivation is in reducing carbon gas emissions. The city blames buildings for 79% of its carbon emissions, with electricity generation for buildings contributing 50%.

Many building owners have already taken note of the goals, and the city has some impressive examples, including Bank of America’s new headquarters at One Bryant Park. It’s one of the largest development sites in Manhattan, and the prestigious skyscraper has a range of innovative, high-performance technologies that start with an onsite, natural gas-fired cogeneration system set to supply 3–5 MW of the structure’s estimated 15-MW load.

The new Freedom Tower at the site of the former World Trade Center is another impressive CHP project. United Technologies Corp. will supply 12 fuel cells totaling 4.8 MW plus thermal energy for heating and cooling. The project is aiming for a Gold designation from the US Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program.

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Fuel cells have found application in many other sites around New York, including: Hilton New York (200-kW fuel cell, CHP configuration), the New York Port Authority wastewater treatment facility (200-kW CHP, and the first successful operation of a system running full time on anaerobic digester gas), and the NYPD Central Park precinct (200-kW power system that maintained operations during the 2003 blackout).

To further the momentum started by these projects, NYSERDA has a number of financial programs currently running. For example, a CHP system in a commercial setting served by Con Edison is eligible for 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, plus a $750-per-kilowatt incentive. For fuel cells in the city, a program has $11.2 million in financial incentives towards the cost of onsite installations. The city also released new regulations to simplify the installation of microturbines.

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