NEW PALTZ – The new solar array on the three-year-old New Paltz firehouse will pay for virtually all of the electrical consumption of the facility.
It is believed to be the first firehouse in the state to be net-zero or near net-zero, said Village Mayor Tim Rogers.
“We have three years of operational data in terms of how much electricity the building used, so that helped us design the correct size of the array that is on the building itself,” he said.
The building cost some $8 million when constructed three years ago and the $250,000 cost of the solar system was paid for by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Ulster County.
The firehouse is in the town of New Paltz, but owned by the village. It serves the greater New Paltz area.
The facility includes a 10-vehicle, drive-through apparatus bay with advances exhaust capture, radiant floor heating, fast-operating overhead doors, a decontamination zone, a mezzanine with dedicated training and quartermaster areas.
High-performance systems include insulated concrete form walls, a super-insulated roof, energy recovery ventilation, and all-electric heat pumps for heating and cooling.
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