The Lafayette Hotel Partners With ClearEdge Power To Reduce Electricity Costs And Minimize Environmental Impact
ClearEdge Fuel Cell System Supports Renovation of Historic Hollywood-era Hotel
HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)- ClearEdge Power, a manufacturer of scalable, continuous onsite power systems, today announced that The Lafayette Hotel deployed a ClearEdge Power fuel cell system to reduce energy costs and lessen its impact on the environment. By leveraging a 40 kW ClearEdge system, The Lafayette Hotel aims to reduce its annual energy costs by approximately $30,000, while also eliminating 100 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. In addition, the high-efficiency and scalable fuel cell system has supported the broader renovation of the landmark hotel by helping it qualify for substantial tax credits as well as various energy upgrade rebates, including a Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) award from the California Center for Sustainable Energy.
“We wanted to combine the Hollywood history embodied in this hotel from the forties and fifties and combine that with a present day urban chic, boutique feel,” said Jay Wentz, managing partner of Hampstead Lafayette LLC, the partnership that owns the hotel. “A big part of the renovation was looking at how we could incorporate sustainable business practices as that was a key component to the overall project financing. By using ClearEdge Power’s fuel cells, we have been able to transform the way we power the hotel while working within strict historic preservation guidelines.”
A City of San Diego landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Lafayette Hotel was once a retreat for the rich and famous with guests including Hollywood stars Bob Hope, Betty Grable, Ava Gardner and “Tarzan” actor Johnny Weissmuller, who also designed the hotel’s swimming pool. By 2010, the aging property, comprised of seven buildings, 131 guest rooms and an Olympic-sized pool, needed to be completely remodeled. As part of the renovations, the hotel management partnered with San Diego Gas & Electric to implement energy efficiency upgrades that will reduce annual operating costs by $70,000 and allow it to qualify for tax credits to help fund the project. As part of the broader energy efficiency program, The Lafayette Hotel selected the ClearEdge system as its compact design ensured compliance with historic preservation guidelines while efficiently delivering predictable, clean and cost-effective power and heat.
“One of the key challenges in this renovation was finding an alternative energy solution that would preserve the building’s historic value,” said Tara J. Hamacher, president and owner of Historic Consultants Inc., the sustainable energy and tax consultancy that structured the project financing. “With ClearEdge Power’s fuel cell system, we were able to comply with strict guidelines and qualify for energy upgrade rebates and tax credit incentives that helped make this renovation a reality in one of the toughest real estate and hospitality recessions.”
Housed in the basement of the hotel’s main building, the 40 kW ClearEdge system does not affect the building’s exterior appearance and generates 45 percent of the building’s electricity. In addition, as a byproduct of the electrochemical process the ClearEdge system uses to convert natural gas to electricity, it produces enough heat to help keep the pool’s temperature between 76 and 79 degrees all year round. By complying with historic preservation guidelines and helping The Lafayette Hotel become the first Energy Star historic hotel in the region, the ClearEdge system also served as one of the supporting measure for the hotel’s application for the New Market Tax Credit and Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs that partially financed the renovation project.
“The Lafayette Hotel is setting an excellent example for hotels across the nation and we are pleased to have helped bring an important San Diego landmark back to life,” said ClearEdge SVP Neal Starling. “It has an impressive focus on sustainability and this project clearly demonstrates the economic and financial benefits that fuel cell technologies can deliver to the hospitality industry.”
About ClearEdge Power
ClearEdge Power provides distributed energy generation solutions to commercial, institutional and residential customers. The company designs, manufactures and sells a family of continuous onsite power systems that uses fuel cell technology to efficiently deliver predictable, clean and cost-effective power and heat. This enables customers to increase independence from the electricity grid, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, please visit http://www.clearedgepower.com.
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