500 kW Fuel Cell Plant Powers Airport Hotel

White Plains, New York and Danbury, Connecticut [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] A 500 kW Direct Fuel Cell (DFC) power plant for the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel will supply base load electrical power for the 390-room hotel while the heat byproduct will heat the hotel’s indoor pool.

The DFC power plant — announced by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and FuelCell Energy — will be installed and operated by Alliance Star Energy, a joint venture of FuelCell Energy with Alliance Power. “Our use of fuel cells at Sheraton hotels has successfully reduced our energy costs while offering us quality power with strong environmental benefits, and we are eager to begin applying this formula to our Westin and other brand hotels,” said John Lembo, Director of Energy for Starwood. Once the Westin hotel unit is installed and operating, Starwood will be generating a total of 2.75 MW of ultra-clean power for five of its U.S. hotels in California, New Jersey and New York. Starwood was recently named as the Number 1 company in Buildings Magazine’s 2005 ‘A’ List due to installations of DFC power plants at four other hotel properties in the U.S. “This kind of growth and development is exciting as FuelCell Energy sitings continue to pick up momentum in California,” said James Michael, President of Alliance Power. “Each new project further cements our relationship with Starwood and shows how this kind of technology can make a difference to the environment, and is repeatable at other locations.” Pacific Gas and Electric, administrator for CPUC’s Self-Generation Incentive Program, is expected to issue a reservation letter of up to $1.25 million for The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel installation.