Connecticut Power play: Weston eligible for $1-million grant for fuel cell project
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Calling it a “watershed” moment for Weston, Don Gary of the Building Committee announced at last Thursday’s Board of Selectmen meeting that it looks like the Weston schools’ fuel cell project would be eligible for the maximum state grant of $1,000,000.
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) finalized its initial review of the pre-application for the fuel cell project, Mr. Gary said. Weston, in conjunction with United Technologies Corporation (UTC), the manufacturer of a 400-kW fuel cell, have been invited by CCEF to proceed with a formal application.
“This is terrific news for the project and for the town,” Mr. Gary said.
UTC has provided the town with a draft of its Energy Services Agreement, which is being reviewed by Town Attorney Ken Bernhard. UTC has agreed, in principle, to construct the entire project at its cost and to lease it back to the town for 15 years.
Mr. Gary said UTC is obligated to service and maintain the fuel cell — including replacing it if necessary — for the life of the contract.
Fuel cell project
Mr. Gary and the Alternative Energy Committee came to the town with the fuel cell proposal in April of this year.
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen fuel with oxygen from the air to produce electricity, heat and hot water. Since the fuel is converted directly to electricity, a fuel cell can operate at much higher efficiencies than internal combustion engines, extracting more electricity from the same amount of fuel.
It is estimated that the 400-kW fuel cell will provide 95% of the electricity needed for both Weston High School and Weston Middle School, all of the heat for the pool at the middle school, a significant amount of the heat and hot water for the middle school, and all of the air conditioning for the middle school.
It will also eliminate approximately 900 tons of carbon dioxide from being released per year.
A fuel cell operates on natural gas, but is considered renewable because it doesn’t burn anything.
When the natural gas gets to the fuel cell, it pulls out the hydrogen and forces it through a stack. Electrons from the hydrogen move from an anode to a cathode and create an electrical current. The byproduct from this process is hot water — which, ideally, could be used in the schools and to heat the middle school pool.
“This is truly a green alternative,” Mr. Gary said.
Instant savings
It is also guaranteed to reap financial benefits for the town.
Because this will be a lease arrangement with no capital expenditures by the town, Mr. Gary said, energy cost savings will start accruing as soon as installation of the fuel cell is complete.
While it is not yet possible to project the exact total amount of energy savings, Mr. Gary said conservative estimates range from $1.5 million to $3 million over 15 years.
One question still remaining is the possible cost of an electrical connection between the middle school and the high school.
Current practice dictates that CL&P may accept electricity to the grid (and give full credit for it) through only one meter. To physically connect both schools to one meter is estimated to cost upwards of $900,000.
However, the town has argued it can combine the two meters by simple accounting (adding together the amount of electricity used at each school).
To reach a determination on this issue, First Selectman Woody Bliss and Mr. Gary met with both engineering officials and the regional director of CL&P to see if there are electrical or engineering reasons that the two meters could not be accounted for as one, or “totalized,” which is the CL&P term.
“Apparently, we did not need to do it for electrical reasons, it was a regulatory issue only,” Mr. Gary said.
Mr. Bliss and Mr. Gary then met with engineering and executive members of the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC), CL&P’s governing body, and presented Weston’s case.
When they told the DPUC the town could just totalize the meters rather than physically connect them, “that was very well received,” Mr. Gary said.
As a result, Weston is requesting a declaratory ruling that using both meters would be acceptable. Mr. Gary, Mr. Bliss and Town Attorney Bernhard drafted the letter of request and sent it to the DPUC, which has indicated that it will expedite its decision and respond to Weston within 30 to 60 days.
“When the town hears back from the DPUC, we will be able to present firm numbers as to the exact savings for the town,” Mr. Gary said.
“Thank you for following up so quickly. This is really a tremendous benefit for the town,” said Selectman Gayle Weinstein, who was sworn in this week as the new first selectman.
