Will Supply 84 Percent Of Company's Industrial Energy Needs On
Site
Sikorsky commissioned a combined heat and power cogeneration
facility late last week that produces enough power to supply 84
percent of the company's 2-million-square-foot Stratford, CT,
facility's needs. That output equates to the annual energy use of
approximately 1,100 area homes. The new system also will provide 85
percent of the facility's steam heating needs while reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by more than 8,900 metric tons annually
– the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions produced by
1,600 passenger vehicles a year.
Sikorsky dedicated and powered up the facility Friday,
culminating a design and construction project that began 3 1/2
years ago with a $26 million capital investment by the company and
a $4.66 million State Cogeneration Incentive grant. Dignitaries
attending the event included State Senator Kevin Kelly, State
Representatives Larry Miller and Laura Hoydick, and Deputy
Commissioner Macky McCleary of the Connecticut Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
"Today Sikorsky takes another big step in our commitment to
operate as an environmentally friendly and sustainable business.
This is a journey we've been on for many years now," said Sikorsky
President Jeffrey P. Pino. "In 2000, we were the first in the
aerospace industry to introduce environmentally friendly aircraft
paint that contains zero-to-low Volatile Organic Compounds. In the
factory we have introduced numerous safety and process improvements
that better protect both our workers and our environment, and we
continually look to make further improvements."
He also noted, "In 2010, we installed 450 solar panels on our
Engineering Building rooftop that together generate 106,250
kilowatt hours of clean renewable energy annually. To date, these
panels have generated 154,212 kilowatt hours, the equivalent of
powering 164 houses while eliminating 204,039 pounds of CO2
emissions."
DEEP Deputy Commissioner McCleary said, "The Sikorsky name has
been synonymous with innovation since the 1930s, and today the
company is a leader in environmental protection. The scope, scale
and vision required to execute a project like this is what we need
in Connecticut and throughout the United States right now.
Government and business are in this together. We have to help each
other."
Fellow United Technologies company Carrier and its NORESCO
business served as strategic partners on the project, providing
design and construction consultation. Sikorsky dedicated the new
facility to employee Walter Joseph, who worked for the company for
32 years after serving in the U.S. Navy. Joseph ran the powerhouse
operations for Sikorsky and was instrumental in the planning and
construction of the cogeneration facility. He passed away on March
15, 2011, succumbing to leukemia after a five-year battle in which
he continually stayed in touch with the project and his colleagues
even when hospitalized. His wife Geraldine participated in the
ceremony and unveiled a plaque dedicated to his memory.