Companies Make Green Energy News on Earth Day

Monday was Earth Day and two member companies, who believe everyday is Earth Day, made some green news by announcing the installation of new green energy sources.

Aetna, one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies with office in Hartford and Windsor, announced a new solar panel field installation at it’s Windsor, Connecticut facility. The solar array of 975 panels has a capacity to generate an annual production of 268,000 kilowatts per year, which is enough electricity to power an average neighborhood of 24 homes. The solar installation was built on a previously unused 56,000 square foot grass field, which is the approximate size of a football field. The new solar installation will produce enough energy to power a major portion of the Aetna facility.

Also on Monday, Western Connecticut State University (WSCU) in Danbury announced it had completed the installation of a fuel cell produced by ClearEdge Power, (formerly UTC Power) of South Windsor, CT. According to a WCSU press release, installation was made possible by a federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant arranged through the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority. The PureCell Model 400 system, a stationary phosphoric acid fuel cell capable of producing 400 kilowatts per hour of assured electrical power, plus 1.5 million British thermal units per hour of usable heat, was placed in January on university property adjacent to the Osborne Street side of the Science Building. Power generation by the unit is scheduled to begin on April 25.

Did your company celebrate Earth Day this week? Please let us know by commenting below.