NEW YORK CITY-Out of the 16 million multifamily buildings throughout the US, only two of them have their own large capacity “green” fuel cells. The newest of the two is located at the Octagon on Roosevelt Island, a stone’s throw away from Manhattan. The luxury 500-unit LEED-certified rental building is now powered by a 400-kilowatt fuel cell, which was unveiled to the public at a ceremony on Thursday morning.

The cell, developed by architecture and development firm Becker + Becker and manufactured by United Technologies Power, provides 1.7 million btu/hour of heat for combined power and heat applications, in addition to 400kW of sustained power. The current largest residential fuel cell is located at 360 State St. in New Haven, CT.

Bruce Redman Becker, president of Becker + Becker, tells GlobeSt.com that the fuel cell works like a battery, but bigger. “It has electrochemical reactions,” Becker says. “They are fired by hydrogen, so there are three stages of the fuel cell,” he says, explaining that the first step involves forming the natural gas into hydrogen, then combining the hydrogen with oxygen to create electricity, heat and water.

At best, the fuel cell can achieve 90% total system efficiency, resulting in lower energy costs for local ratepayers. Homer Purcell, VP of sales at UTC Power, tells GlobeSt.com that the cell supplies space heating and hot water. “That’s where you are elevating the efficiency of the building,” he says. “The fuel that’s coming in is not just making electricity like a typical power plant. What they are doing here is taking incoming fuel and they are generating both the capturing of that heat and driving efficiency far higher.”

The project received $1.2-million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which provided grant funding and design guidance. Peter Douglas, program manager for buildings at NYSERDA, said at the ceremony that the project was “innovative and worthwhile,” demonstrating the value of distributed generation, combined heat and power, and fuel cell conversion technology all-in-one. “This results in results in reduced primary energy usage, and increases our nation’s energy self-sufficiency," he said.

Over the last 10 years, NYSERDA has invested more than $100 million toward Combined Heat and Power projects for industrial, commercial and multifamily properties. The project fits in with the state’s goals of creating renewable energy sources, reducing greenhouse gases and increasing energy security.

Leslie Torres, president of the Roosevelt Island Operation Corp., a political subdivision of the state and public benefit corporation, said the project is another step in the Island’s smart growth plan, which also includes tramway improvements, expansion of bus service and electric car charging stations within parking garages. “Roosevelt Island is a place where progressive green initiatives have been the centerpiece of the Island for close to 40 years,” she said. “From the beginning, the state envisioned a green island,” adding that underground pipes are installed here to transport garbage to minimize garbage trucks traveling throughout the Island.

Completed in 2008, The Octagon was converted from an abandoned asylum into residential housing, making it the Island’s prime adaptive re-use site. “The Octagon apartments are exemplarily of what an organization can do when it adopts a corporate policy to pursue comprehensive energy strategies,” Douglas said. “At the same time, it is a bright path for others to follow.”

Instant Insights /

New 400kW Fuel Cell Powers Up Roosevelt Island

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