New York City’s electricity rates are among the highest in the country. What people may not realize, though, is that large boiler systems (found in places like housing developments, college campuses, school, and large buildings) are among the biggest users of electricity even though they are fueled by oil or natural gas.
At the same time, boilers can cause a problem with nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. With pressure both from the public and government regulation, boiler emissions have to be kept in check. But the efforts required to reduce emissions can often increase electricity costs and vice versa. Can both problems be tackled at once? Stapleton Houses, one of the largest housing developments on Staten Island, found a way to do just that, and, as a result, the housing project’s managers cut the electrical usage of their boiler by 75%.