The project received $1.2-million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which provided grant funding and design guidance. Peter Douglas, program manager for buildings at NYSERDA, said at the ceremony that the project was “innovative and worthwhile,” demonstrating the value of distributed generation, combined heat and power, and fuel cell conversion technology all-in-one. “This results in results in reduced primary energy usage, and increases our nation’s energy self-sufficiency," he said.

Over the last 10 years, NYSERDA has invested more than $100 million toward Combined Heat and Power projects for industrial, commercial and multifamily properties. The project fits in with the state’s goals of creating renewable energy sources, reducing greenhouse gases and increasing energy security.

Leslie Torres, president of the Roosevelt Island Operation Corp., a political subdivision of the state and public benefit corporation, said the project is another step in the Island’s smart growth plan, which also includes tramway improvements, expansion of bus service and electric car charging stations within parking garages. “Roosevelt Island is a place where progressive green initiatives have been the centerpiece of the Island for close to 40 years,” she said. “From the beginning, the state envisioned a green island,” adding that underground pipes are installed here to transport garbage to minimize garbage trucks traveling throughout the Island.

Completed in 2008, The Octagon was converted from an abandoned asylum into residential housing, making it the Island’s prime adaptive re-use site. “The Octagon apartments are exemplarily of what an organization can do when it adopts a corporate policy to pursue comprehensive energy strategies,” Douglas said. “At the same time, it is a bright path for others to follow.”