Middletown's decision to install a 200 kW PureCell system will make the new facility, designed for over 1,400 students, one of only five K-12 schools in Connecticut with a LEED(R) certification. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System(TM) is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

Middletown Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano said, "This is the single biggest project Middletown has undertaken in its nearly 350-year history. We were determined to be fiscally and operationally prudent, energy conscious and environmentally responsible and we quickly came to the conclusion that the UTC Power fuel cell was our best energy solution. Plus, the fuel cell will be a teaching tool just outside the door of our science, physics, chemistry and math labs."

UTC Power President Jan van Dokkum said, "Locating a fuel cell on a school campus presents a unique opportunity to realize educational value from the project. Students can observe up close and directly how clean energy works and benefits everyone." UTC Power fuel cells have been installed at 17 educational facilities in six U.S. states and Canada.

According to the Connecticut Green Building Council, the benefits of "green" schools include improved student performance, healthier and more comfortable indoor environmental quality, lower operating costs, reduced water use and a lower environmental impact. The fuel cell is among the cleanest power-generating technologies available today. By supplying continuous power to Middletown High School, it will substantially reduce the city's energy bill.

Compared with traditional combustion power plants, this PureCell system will eliminate more than 13,000 pounds of acid rain and smog-causing pollutants from the environment every year, avoid 935,000 pounds of carbon dioxide production annually and emit no harmful fumes. A fuel cell also generates clean waste heat, which in Middletown will be captured to heat the building and swimming pool, further reducing fuel consumption and boosting energy savings for the city.

The new fuel cell also will enable Middletown High School to serve as a fully functional refuge for residents in case of natural disaster or emergency. The UTC Power fuel cell will be configured to operate independent of the utility grid, assuring power if a massive grid outage, storm or other emergency occurs.

To support Middletown's commitment to clean energy, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund approved a $940,000 grant to help defray fuel cell installation costs.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides high-technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. Its UTC Power unit in South Windsor, Conn., is a full-service provider of environmentally advanced power solutions. UTC Power is a world leader with nearly 50 years experience in developing and producing fuel cells for on-site power, transportation, space and defense applications, as well as a leader in innovative renewable energy solutions and combined cooling, heating and power solutions for the distributed energy market.