Doosan Helps Norco College Reach Clean Energy Goals and Reduce Water Consumption with New Fuel Cell Installation
South Windsor, Conn. (PRWEB) August 25, 2015 -- Doosan Fuel Cell announced its newest fuel cell installation today at Norco College, which is part of the Riverside (Calif.) Community College District. The PureCell® Model 400 power plant – a key element in the college’s plans to increase control over its energy mix ̶ is expected to reduce overall costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions at the 141-acre campus.
Unlike conventional grid energy that consumes water for cooling, Doosan’s fuel cell operates with zero water consumption, reducing the campus’ impact on water usage in the drought-stricken region by 1.4 million gallons annually. The fuel cell installation comes on the heels of California Gov. Jerry Brown mandating a 25-percent reduction of water usage in the Golden State.
“We are devoted to fostering environmental responsibility and sustainability among our student body, while controlling energy costs,” said Laurens Thurman, consultant of facilities planning and development for the Riverside Community College District, which oversees three campuses, including Norco College. “Additionally, with the ongoing water shortage crisis in California, the fact that we’re now able to conserve water, compared to the grid generated energy, is an added benefit. Our partnership with Doosan will provide cleaner power, allowing us to take control of our college’s energy portfolio while minimizing water consumption on campus. ”
The Norco College installation, which is slated to provide 60 percent of the campus’s average daily requirements for electricity, represents the 25th Doosan PureCell system in California. In total, Doosan, a Connecticut-based provider of fuel cell power systems, is supplying more than 10 megawatts of energy capacity (enough to power more than 7,500 U.S. households) and an estimated annual water savings of 35 million gallons (enough water to fill 55 Olympic-sized swimming pools.)
“Fuel cell technology is a burgeoning energy alternative on college campuses across the country, offering clean, predictable onsite power,” said Kent McCord, director of marketing with Doosan. “Our PureCell systems are proven best-of-breed in this segment. They offer reliability, with 98% system uptime across our deployed base – a performance unmatched in the fuel cell industry – and the ability to convert waste heat into chilled water for space cooling. This combination of benefits makes the PureCell system a complete clean energy solution for colleges and universities.”
About Doosan Fuel Cell America, Inc.
Doosan Fuel Cell America, Inc. (Doosan) is a subsidiary of Doosan Corporation, a South Korea-based industrial company founded in 1896 that has current operations in 38 countries and has been a Fortune Global 2000 company since 2007. Doosan, headquartered in South Windsor, Connecticut, designs, engineers and manufactures fuel cells for commercial and industrial applications. Formed in July 2014 following Doosan Corporation’s acquisition of ClearEdge Power (formerly UTC Power), Doosan is the U.S. arm of the Doosan Fuel Cell Business Group and focuses on 400-kilowatt phosphoric acid fuel cells capable of supplying combined heat and power to building and utility systems. With its growing team, and focus on innovation and technology leadership, Doosan’s stated vision is to be the global leader in the fuel cell industry. For more information about Doosan, please visit http://www.doosanfuelcell.com.
About Norco College
Norco College is a community college, located in southwestern Riverside County, in Norco, California. Each year Norco College serves over 13,000 students from the cities of Norco, Corona and Eastvale, as well as surrounding communities. Norco College is one of three colleges in the Riverside Community College District (RCCD), which is part of the larger California Community Colleges System. Please visit http://www.norcocollege.edu.
Cullen Bushnell, NSTIG8 Communications, http://nstig8.com/, +1 (760) 585-7050 Ext: 405, [email protected]
Share this article