New Haven Independent

Zinn (pictured), an environmental consultant in New Haven’s City Plan Department, is working to implement a feasibility study of a possible River Street “energy district.” The plan would allow local businesses to build and possibly share alternative energy infrastructure — like wind turbines and solar panels — that would provide clean power while reducing their utility bills.

Zinn (pictured by the water on River Street) is applying to the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund for a grant to pay for the study. First he needs the permission of the Board of Aldermen. He’ll be looking for a recommendation from the City Plan Commission at its monthly meeting on Wednesday night and from an aldermanic committee Thursday night. He hopes to have the study completed by the end of the year.

A feasibility study would look at the energy usage of all the River Street businesses, with the hopes of finding ways to cut costs and reduce pollution. The action plan that would come out of such a study could recommend a variety of different energy strategies. Each business might benefit from a separate type of alternative energy, or operations could team up to create a shared network of wind turbines or solar panels.

Cooperation on alternative energy infrastructure would allow River Street businesses to join up and save money. “It allows them to group together and get some economies of scale,” Zinn said. River Street might be home to “a row of wind turbines,” for instance.

Leading the way in clean energy efforts on River Street is Phoenix Press. The River Street business recently got the green light to build a 120-foot wind turbine to help power its operation. Down the road, Suraci Metal Finishing is already finding ways to conserve energy and has been looking into building a turbine of its own.

Solar panels are also an option, and the study would also look into geothermal heat pumps and even using tidal power to turn turbines. A geothermal heat pump “takes advantage of the fact that the earth is the same temperature all year long,” Zinn explained. Heat can be drawn from the earth in the winter and dumped into the earth in the summer. “Moving heat is a lot easier than creating heat,” Zinn said.

“It saves you a bunch of money,” he said. “And it’s very clean.”

Another alternative energy possibility is using fuel cells for on-site power generation. This would have the added benefit of creating heat that could be harnessed to warm buildings.

Zinn said that he met with River Street businesses recently and received an enthusiastic response to his proposed study. “All small businesses are desperate to lower their utility bills,” he said.

Alternative energy infrastructure can also “improve the visibility” of a business, Zinn said, mentioning Phoenix Press’ planned 120-foot turbine as an example of an eye-catching advertisement.

Depending on the results of the study, new energy infrastructure could be in place in two years, or even less, Zinn said. It’s not yet clear who would pay for construction, but Zinn said that he intends to try to find “as much grant funding and bonding as possible.”

He’s looking at a public/private partnership between the businesses and public funding sources as one possible model for development.

If the River Street energy district takes off, Zinn said, it’s possible that more of New Haven’s power will be supplied in the future by “very localized neighborhood sources.”

Bruno Suraci, one of the principals at Suraci Metal Finishing on River Street, said that his company is already looking into ways to conserve energy. He said he’s all for a study that would help his company do that better.

“We have a huge initiative for energy reduction,” Suraci said. The company has researched wind turbines, heat reclaiming, and tidal energy. The high cost of power in Connecticut makes it very hard to be competitive nationally and internationally, Suraci said. Outside of payroll and health care, energy is his business’ biggest expense.

Despite its desire to cut costs, the company doesn’t have the resources to do an in-depth study of energy alternatives, Suraci said. A free study would therefore be very welcome. “That would definitely help us.”