UTC to install 400 kilawatt fuel cell in Conn. University

Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic plans to install a 400-kilowatt fuel cell in April from South Windsor energy manufacturer UTC Power.

The PureCell Model 400kW will provide electricity for the ECSU Science Building while capturing heat produced from its processes for the campus’s infrastructure.

Connecticut is a center of the fuel cell industry, with three original equipment manufacturers and a dozen suppliers. UTC Power, a subsidiary of Hartford-based United Technologies Corp., is the largest of the OEMs followed by Danbury’s FuelCell Energy and Wallingford’s Proton Onsite.

In addition to the Science Building fuel cell, ECSU has committed to several other sustainable technologies on its campus. The Science Buildings and three residence halls are certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program by the U.S. Green Building Council. A geothermal system provides heat and air conditioning for the high-rise residence hall. The campus has 6.2 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels to light bus shelters, trash disposal areas and building perimeter areas.

The U.S. Green Building Council and Princeton Review named ECSU as one of the nation’s 311 Green Colleges for 2011, the second year the university received the designation.