July 7, 2014: FuelCell Energy Announces CHP Solution for Medical Center
Fuel Cell Will Generate About 30 Percent of Power Needs; Heat Will Be Used by Absorption Chiller
DANBURY, Conn. — FuelCell Energy Inc. has announced a project to install a 1.4 megawatt (MW) fuel cell power plant to provide both electricity and usable heat to the University of California (UC) Irvine Medical Center. The power plant will generate about 30 percent of facility power needs, while the heat produced will be used in a direct exhaust absorption chiller to produce 200 tons of cooling for an office building and associated institutional requirements. The medical center, a campus with a 412-bed acute care facility, will gain on-site power while avoiding a capital investment by purchasing the power and heat under a multi-year power purchase agreement. FuelCell Energy will install, operate, and maintain the plant.
“The University of California is a national leader in sustainability and effective actions to reduce greenhouse gases as we work towards carbon neutrality by the year 2025,” said Morris Frieling, chief financial officer, UC Irvine Medical Center. “This fuel cell installation fits perfectly with our ambitious goals of adopting alternative energy sources, embracing energy efficiency, and supporting California’s carbon cap and trade program, all while enhancing our power reliability with on-site power generation.”