Stone, whose company has worked on at least 30 multifamily cogeneration projects in the city, says microturbine systems installed before the new regulations were imposed are grandfathered and need not meet the new requirements. However, he points out that his company and others have already met many of those standards, such as those that require gas-leak sensors and ventilation.

Microturbines for the Millennium

In 2006, after two years of planning, the 35-story, 234-unit Millennium Tower Residences condominium in Battery Park City to installed a 60 kW rooftop microturbine to provide some of its power and hot water. Residents started moving into the building that December. Charles Norman, project manager in design and construction for the property, estimates it generates about 10 percent of the electrical load needed to power common areas, and heat about half of the building's hot water.

The installation cost for the equipment was roughly $250,000. Because The Millennium receives NYSERDA new-construction incentives that cover several green projects, Norman can't break out exactly how much of the microturbine cost will be offset. All told, Norman says the building could receive up to $440,000 for all of its environmental efforts, which also include solar panels, rooftop gardens that capture rainwater, and green building supplies.

"Most of the people in the building don't know about this yet, but I think they're going to be happy about it in the long term," he says. "Buildings use energy and energy is getting more expensive. This is going to reduce their energy costs, and it will keep the common charges in check. And that's a good thing."

Image above: The UK company NewEnCo's Turbec T100 model, rated at 115 kW of electricity and 170 kW of heat.

Adapted from Habitat March 2008. For the complete article and more, join our Archive >>