First Large, Commercial NYC Fuel Cell Commissioned
NEW YORK - The Sheraton New York has begun using electricity and heat generated by a fuel cell installed under the distributed generation program of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The 250-kW, natural gas-powered unit at the flagship Starwood Hotel represents the first New York City hotel to adopt the technology.
The fuel cell converts natural gas to hydrogen that is used to generate the power. The process typically doubles output efficiency over traditional generators because it captures and employs the waste heat from the process, says NYSERDA.