Energy Spectrum continues to incubate cogeneration systems.

Energy Spectrum, New York's premier specialized energy consulting group, today announced the sixth prospective Bronx-based medical care center to install a new energy-efficient, environmentally advanced power generation system.

The Park Garden Rehabilitation and Nursing Center is one of a number of natural gas cogeneration systems in the country designed to produce its own electricity, cooling and heating.

This marks a growing trend amongst medical centers; Energy Spectrum has already completed spearheading the installment of five comparable Bronx-based medical facilities within the past three years: Eastchester Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, Fieldston Lodge Care Center, Goldcrest Care Center, Regeis-Rofay Nursing Care Center, and the Montefiore Medical Center which was honored by the Association of Energy Engineers as the nation's "2006 Energy Project of the Year".

Energy Spectrum creates an individualized, effective energy program for each center by bringing appropriate engineering, finance, and energy resources together.

In the Bronx alone, Energy Spectrum is responsible for regulating the heating and cooling of more than 2,000 hospital beds, reducing the peak electric demand by more than 1,000kW, and saving approximately $750,000 on annual electric costs. In addition to the net energy costs savings, each facility receives financial incentives from both the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) for peak demand reduction. Because these cogen systems alleviate strain from the Bronx's Con Edison electrical grid, NYISO provides each facility with substantial monthly monetary payments.

As a result of last year's electrical blackout due to the strained Con Edison grid, numerous property owners are considering alternative energy methods.

According to David Ahrens, Project Director of Energy Spectrum, he is not surprised that Energy Spectrum has experienced an influx of nursing home inquiries.

"It's no secret that medical personnel's top priority is the welfare of their patients. They're taking major steps to protect their patients, and to improve the air quality of the local environment."

To be completed in the Spring 2007, Energy Spectrum is steering the Park Garden Rehabilitation and Nursing Center towards becoming a self-sufficient, on-site, on-grid power generation system that will prevent blackouts, and lower overall energy costs and emissions.

Energy Spectrum proposes the unit will reduce peak electric demand by about 155kW representing approximately $135,000 of savings on annual electric costs.

Most recently, Energy Spectrum helped orchestrate Montefiore Medical Center's (MMC) entry as one of the largest installations of cogeneration systems in New York in the last few years.

Ahrens explains, "Initially, this project was a response to MMC's high electric bills and factors like poor power supply and has since become a way to improve reliability of the expanding Con Ed grid."

In 2004, MMC installed and commissioned the 9-megawatt expansion comprised of a Solar Turbines 5 megawatt Taurus[TM] 60 gas turbine with SoLoNOx[TM] lean combustion technology and a 58,000-poundsper-hour heat-recovery system generator, and two clean internal combustion fuel engines.

The hospital was well suited for cogeneration thanks to its numerous heat sinks and large electrical load.

According to Edward Pfleging, vice president of Facility Operations at MMC, the hospital's goals for the system have remained the same

"We generate low-cost, efficient, reliable power and sell back excess to the utility when that is opportune. We also use the exhaust heat from the power generators--heat that, at many sites, is typically wasted to the atmosphere- and reclaim it to generate steam for the campus." Approximately 90% of the patient areas at MMC are powered via cogeneration.

The Regeis-Rofay Nursing Care Center, a six story, 206-bed, health care facility, was an all electric heating and cooling building before it was converted to cogeneration system using gas fired air conditioning.

Completed in 2004, this Peak Load Reduction project included the installation of two new pipe hydronic chilled water / hot water systems, and two 150 ton natural gas engine chillers.

In addition to annual savings of over $175,000 and a peak demand reduction by over 450kW, the system helped drastically decrease the electrical load in the Northeast Bronx constrained electrical network.

In the Fall of 2005, Energy Spectrum helped reduce the Goldcrest Care Center's peak electric demand by over 100kW by replacing the electric hot water booster heaters and implementing cogeneration. This 175-bed facility now saves about $70,000 each year on electric costs.

The Fieldston Lodge Care Center also benefited from Energy Spectrum's assistance; the 200-bed center has reduced its peak electric demand by approximately 155kW representing $110,663 of savings on annual electric costs.

One year later, in the Fall of 2006, Energy Spectrum successfully installed a cogeneration system at the 200-bed Eastchester Rehabilitation & Health Care Center.

Its peak demand decreased by 140kW in peak totaling an average annual savings of $110,000.