360 State Street gets 'green' fuel cell

New Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - A 'green' fuel cell arrived at the 360 State Street tower construction project in New Haven Thursday.

The new fuel cell is 400 kilowatts features 'green technology' that will provide almost 100 percent of the building's energy needs. It marks the first time a fuel cell is being used in a residential building of this size.

"Fuel cells provide the energy trifecta; distribute generation, combined heat and power and homegrown innovation," said Bruce Becker one of the architects for the project.

The $3 million fuel cell was built by the United Technology Corporation and it will significantly reduce 360 State's so called 'carbon footprint.' "Just to appreciate this, it's sort of comparable to when we went from main frame computers to our PC's on our desktop," said Lisa Doni of the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

To get the project off the ground, 360 State received a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund among other funding sources. "This project incorporates a lot of 'green technology' compared to the grid," said Mike Brown of UTC Power. "This insulation would be equivalent to taking one hundred cars off the road or planting 178 acres of trees."

The architect of the building said Friday that the tragic oil spill in the Gulf is further proof of the importance of developing 'Green' power sources. If all goes as planned, the first 100 residential units at '360 state' will be ready for occupancy by August.