On December 4, 2009, the Connecticut Science Center in downtown Hartford became the first science center or museum in the country to generate the majority of its energy needs on-site with a fuel cell. The UTC Power fuel cell technology -- developed in Connecticut -- will generate almost 100% of the electricity demanded by the Science Center on an annual basis. During operating hours, the fuel cell provides approximately two-thirds of the needed power for the downtown Hartford destination. When the Science Center's power demand is less, the 200-kilowatt fuel cell transfers energy back into the power grid system. The cumulative effect will result in almost 100% of the energy used being created by the clean, environmentally-friendly energy source. As an added benefit, the fuel cell will provide back-up power. The fuel cell is wrapped in educational graphics which help to explain the technologies used, itself becoming one of the over 150 exhibits dedicated to emerging energies at the Science Center.
Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen in an electrochemical process to produce electricity, heat and water. A hydrogen-rich fuel is derived from natural gas in a non-combustion process called reforming.
By generating clean power on site and then recovering the heat from the electrochemical reaction, the Connecticut Science Center is able to reduce the burden on the New England power grid and its impact on the environment by preventing the release of more than 270 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. The environmental benefit is equivalent to planting 63 acres of forest to mitigate an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.
Additional environmentally friendly green initiatives taken by the Science Center include light sensors which detect natural lighting and adjust interior lighting to save energy; a rooftop garden, and over 95% of the steel used to build the Science Center being made from recycled automobiles.