Danbury Fair mall to use fuel cells to generate power Possible first for such shopping complexes in U.S.

Danbury Fair Mall sign for file. Friday, Oct. 24, 2014 Danbury Fair Mall sign for file. Friday, Oct. 24, 2014 Photo: Scott Mullin Photo: Scott Mullin Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Danbury Fair mall to use fuel cells to generate power 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

DANBURY -- In the near future, almost half of the electricity used by the Danbury Fair mall will be generated on site.

Officials with Macerich, the parent company that operates the mall, unveiled a set of fuel cells recently that will generate up to 750 kilowatts of electricity and produce nearly 36 percent of the electricity used by the regional shopping center.

Many officials said the fuel cells may be the first installed at any mall in North America.

"We haven't heard of any other malls in the United States that have used this technology," said Rudolph Milian, a senior vice president of sustainability with the International Council of Shopping Centers. "Simon, the largest mall operator, is considering introducing fuel cells in the next couple of years, Westfield is also considering it, but Macerich is the only one we know of who has actually installed one."

Jeffrey Bedell, vice president of sustainability for Macerich, said the company has been discussing the use of fuel cells for more than six years but it was government policies recently put into place and credits available through the local utility companies that made the project a reality, he said.

Bedell said they've structured a power-purchase agreement with Washington Gas. The deal calls for the gas company to pay for the fuel cells while the mall pays the gas company for the electricity that is generated from the units.

"For us it really made the deal more palatable because there is no technology risk," Bedell said. "Our goal at Macerich is operational excellence and we can't do that without long-term sustainability. Next year we are planning to put solar panels on the roof."

The panels, he said, are expected to generate an additional one megawatt of electricity. When combined with the fuel cells, about 46 percent of the property's electrical needs will be serviced by the new technology.

"And we have more we want to do that will make the property even more sustainable," Bedell said. "We will never be off the grid with this kind of facility, but we can keep moving as close as possible."

Milian noted several states, including Connecticut, California and Arizona, have favorable regulations that make fuel cell installations more inviting for retailers, especially those that have higher energy loads.

"A lot of merchants will take advantage in those states," he said. "Connecticut's program is certainly one of the most compelling."

Besides electrical usage, the mall is also working on being more sustainable with its recycling practices. Officials said the mall is nearing the gold standard of recycling, which means more than 40 percent of the facility's trash is recycled. Besides recycling cardboards and plastics, the mall has also begun composting food waste.

"I think its no surprise that the Danbury Fair mall is leading the charge in terms of sustainability," said Stephen Bull, president of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce. "That's something we should all be proud of."

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