April 19--WEST HARTFORD -- With the flick of a large switch and a loud pop, a local manufacturer commemorated its commitment to provide cleaner and more efficient power to its West Hartford headquarters.
Dozens gathered under sunny skies on Legrand North America's Woodlawn Street campus Monday afternoon for a "flick-the-switch" ceremony, celebrating the company's new 500-kilowatt fuel cell.
Legrand North America is the parent company of Wiremold, which specializes in wire and cable management.
"We ... as a company try to walk the talk," said CEO John Selldorf.
"This is important, but let's not take anything away from what we do here every day," Selldorf said. "Many of the products that are made here contribute to the highest performing buildings on the world scene. While it's exciting to recognize something that we'll directly consume, let's not forget that every day we contribute to making, hopefully, better buildings and a better place for people to work."
The solid-oxide fuel cell system is expected to supply 88 percent of the power for the 263,000-square-foot, 100-year-old campus, executives said.
The fuel cell was recently installed over a 20-day period. Executives would not say Monday how much the project cost
Legrand is expected to save approximately $2.4 million in energy costs over the first 10 years of operation.
A fuel cell creates energy by converting the chemical energy of fuel and an oxidant directly into electrical energy without combustion taking place.
The project stemmed from Legrand's participation in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings, Better Plants program. As part of that, the company committed to reducing energy intensity by 25 percent at all sites.
The fuel cell emits 50 percent less carbon dioxide than natural gas-burning electricity generation and is more efficient than power from the grid, according to a press release.
Legrand's West Hartford facility has about 600 employees and serves as its corporate headquarters, as well as a manufacturing facility for the Wiremold product line.
The company contributed $12.06 million in combined business personal property and real estate taxes last year, according to the Oct. 1, 2015 grand list.
"You've made not just a commitment to West Hartford, but a commitment to the environment and that's wonderful," Mayor Scott Slifka told executives. "I hear all of the good things you were saying, that it's great for the future, great for the environment, great for our community but what I heard most was that was a commitment to the jobs here [and] that was a commitment to being here, and that's the most important thing that I hear overall."
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