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April 10, 2005
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Fuel Cell Project
Starwood has joined forces with Alliance Star Energy to provide a framework for a series of fuel cell projects, focusing initially on California hotels. The first project will provide one megawatt of fuel cell power to the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina via four 250 KW direct fuel cell (DFC) power plants. The fuel cells will supply the hotel's 1,044 guestrooms and suites with their base load electricity and the heat byproduct will warm the water in their Lagoon Pool. Installation is expected to be completed and online at the end of 2005.
Incentive funding is being provided by San Diego's Regional Energy Office, the administrator for the California PUC's (Public Utilities Commission) Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), to the Starwood/Alliance Star Energy effort. The SGIP states that electric generation must be certified to operate in parallel with the state's electric system grid (not just back-up generation) and meet other criteria established by the California Public Utilities Commission. Residential customers aren't barred from the program, they have a similar program they can work through, but this SGIP is designed primarily with business and large institutional customers in mind. Electric generation sources include not only fuel cells, but also solar and wind energies.
It seems to me that Starwood is breaking new ground in regards to hotels being sustainable and reducing their reliance on oil supplies. This is a great step being taken and I can't wait to see who next follows suit.
Posted by Kit Cassingham
