Clinton Hill Apartments Go Green

“Clinton Hill Apartments’ Microturbines Cogenerate Electricity,” a press release cryptically alerted us this morning.

“You don’t know what that means?” asked Clinton Hill Apartments owner Ed Friedman. “I’m embarrassed for you”

David Ahrens, director of Brooklyn’s Energy Spectrum, was more helpful: “Microturbines, basically like a small little jet engine, fire from natural gas. They simultaneously produce heat for hot water and electricity, which is interconnected with the Con Ed grid… We anticipate this project will be the equivalent of taking 1,000 cars off the road every year.”

Why? The new energy and heat will mean the apartments’ old boilers (“which burn Number 6 oil,” Mr. Friedman pipes in, not a wonderful thing”) can be intermittently turned off.

“Which means emissions will be reduced,” declares Mr. Ahrens.

Thankfully, the $2 million project was partially subsidized by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, plus the Clean Air Communities group.

Will other Brooklyn co-ops be following suit?

Mr. Friedman offers: “They’d be wise to.”

– Max Abelson