NYSERDA Press Releases

Strathallan Hotel To Produce Its Own Power With State Assistance
NYSERDA Provides More Than $200,000

Rochester, NY – The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has entered into a partnership with the Strathallan Hotel to implement a combined heat and power system that will provide for the facility's electric power and central area space heating needs.

Using funds from the New York Energy $mart^SM program, NYSERDA is providing $214,751 in funding to the project, which has been matched by the hotel, to install a combined heat and power (CHP) system comprised of two (2) natural gas-fueled electric power generating units and a heat control system for electric heat control in guest rooms. The recovered heat from electrical generation will be used for space heating in common areas, such as the hotel's lobby, and for domestic hot water. It is estimated that the combined heat and power technology will save the hotel approximately $120,000 annually.

"When completed, the partnership between NYSERDA and the Strathallan Hotel will help this facility save tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs, reduce the demand for energy on the state's power grid, and maintain quality service and comfort for the hotel patrons," said NYSERDA President William M. Flynn. "NYSERDA has the technical expertise and financial incentives to assist facilities like the Strathallan Hotel and other institutions and business throughout New York State to save money through energy efficiency."

"This is a tremendous example of how local businesses can partner with our state government, in this instance NYSERDA, to help them become more energy efficient and save money," Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle said. "The employment of this new technology will help the Strathallan Hotel continue to be an important, long-term component of our downtown landscape."

The Strathallan Hotel encompasses approximately 100,000 sq. ft. and uses a significant amount of electric power year-round for lighting, general power and heating loads. The hotel uses natural gas-fired boilers for domestic hot water and central area space heating. Hotel guestrooms are heated electrically. To remain competitive, attract customers and retain jobs, the hotel needed to reduce its energy costs, maintain a reliable source of electric power and assure guest comfort. Replacing electric guest room heating with hot water heating was deemed as cost-prohibitive as compared to the CHP system.

"I am extremely pleased to be partnering with NYSERDA in implementing this technology in our hotel. The combined heat and power effort will help cut our energy costs and help us remain competitive for many years to come," said Strathallan Hotel General Manager Douglas Summers.

The hotel, with the technical assistance provided by IEC Engineering, PC of Rochester, will install, commission, operate, monitor and report on the performance of a CHP System. The project is expected reduce annual electricity usage by 960,000 kWh or enough electricity to power 160 homes for a year. Approximately 96 percent of the heat rejected from the generation of electricity will be captured for heating.

A component of the New York Energy $mart^SM program, the Combined Heat and Power Program, is designed to assist industrial, municipal, institutional and commercial customers by providing funding for stand alone power systems. The largest program of its kind nationwide, the Combined Heat and Power Program is a cost-shared program comprised of several components. These include the promotion of combined heat and power in New York's industrial sector; the evaluation of the potential for combined heat and power in New York including the re-powering of existing boilers in industrial, commercial and institutional facilities; the development of a data base on operational reliability and availability for industrial on-site generation systems; and the study and evaluation of environmental implications of distributed generation technology use.

Since 1998, NYSERDA has provided more than $7 million to support more than 181 projects in Monroe County. Combined with co-funding from NYSERDA's partners, the value of these projects is nearly $13 million. Among some of the other partners NYSERDA is working with in Monroe County is: Rochester Institute of Technology, Mikron Corporation Rochester, Zweigles Inc., YMCA of Rochester, Siemens Building Technologies, and the University of Rochester Medical Center. For more information about NYSERDA, visit www.nyserda.org or call toll-free (866)-NYSERDA.

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