There's Nothing Like This part 1: Forbes Lofts & Energy

July 03, 2008

While the Forbes project is unprecedented for its very high degree of integration of multiple clean and green tech strategies and systems, each component bears a closer look. 

On the electricity generation, Forbes aims to create a net 100% of the electricity the whole complex will require, passing low or no electricity bills on to the tenants. It is doing so through its own local wind and solar energy systems, with a 1 MW wind turbine already in place and soon to be operational). Geothermal may also be added.

The local utility provider NStar is sort of acting like a big battery into which energy can be fed or withdrawn as needed. Sometimes Forbes will need to borrow energy from the grid via NStar. Other times, Forbes will produce excess energy and will sell this back to NStar. All in all it expects to break about even and neither make (nor owe) net money at the end of every month. They're also using the leverage of bulk purchasing of utilities to eliminate individual metering and purchase electricity (when they have to) when rates are lowest.

Conservation measures include: compact fluorescent/LED light bulbs, efficient appliances, and regenerative power elevators that recharge like hybrid cars when braking. Lastly, there's a really cool new concept called  the "Forbes Orbs”, a colored glowing light feedback mechanism in each unit and atop the turbine, that will let folks know when their electricity is free, cheap or expensive so they can adjust their usage accordingly.  Putting an Orb on top of the 200 foot turbine even lets the non Forbes locals in on the action ... and share some of the benefits a feedback loop can provide.

And that's just the electricity.  Next up: Forbes' efficiency innovations with heating/cooling and materials.

Comments

[stomv]

I think this is a great project, and it's easy to get caught up with critiques while ignoring all the great things they're doing... and that's exactly what I'm about to do.

Minor point: Forbes claims on their Building X subpage that the turbine is 600 kW, not 1 MW. I don't know if their site is out of date or the blog post is inaccurate.

Major point: Not installing individual meters on the units is just plain foolish from an energy conservation standpoint. It remains to be seen if it makes economic sense [due to bulk metering], but the reality is that individuals will have almost no financial incentive to install CFs or even turn off their lights, put their electronics on a rocker switch, set back their AC, and so forth since they will only see less than 1/68th of the savings.

I think this is more than a mistake; it's a major blunder. Guilt and nobility will serve to motivate some people some of the time, and perhaps more people due to a selection bias. However, these aren't luxury condominiums -- every person who lives at Forbes will be motivated by their wallets; independently wealthy people don't live in lofts in Chelsea.

As the project grows and they build more units than the initial 68, they'll find that the wind turbine isn't providing enough electricity to result in a net consumption of zero -- they'll have positive net consumption, and then they'll really pay for not having meters.

A black mark for a really green project. I'm actually surprised that they're even legally allowed to build units without individual electrical meters...