SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. - UTC Power, a United Technologies company, announced that its PureCycle® geothermal power system, developed with United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Conn., has been recognized byR&D Magazineas one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced during the past year.

The magazine will publish the full list of winners in its September 2007 issue. The magazine said that its “outside judges and editors are looking for products that leapfrog current technology, that provide simple, elegant solutions to complex and long-standing technical or practical problems.”

UTC Power’s PureCycle system customer Chena Hot Springs Resort submitted the award application. The resort is 60 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska, and 35 miles off the power grid. It has the first geothermal power plant in Alaska and is the site of the lowest temperature geothermal resource (165°F) ever used for commercial power generation in the world. Prior to the operation of the power plant at Chena, the lowest temperature geothermal resource ever developed for commercial power generation was 208°F.

The resort’s first UTC Power PureCycle geothermal system was commissioned in August 2006 to provide power for on-site electrical needs. Alaska’s energy costs are among the nation’s highest and two PureCycle units are significantly reducing the daily energy bill and eliminating the need for diesel fuel-burning generators and their emissions. In addition to Chena and UTC, the demonstration project partners included the U.S. Department of Energy, Alaska Energy Authority, Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, and The Denali Commission. 

According to UTC Power, the PureCycle system represents an innovative advancement in geothermal energy production that offers the possibility of tapping into significant U.S. geothermal reserves for a domestic, renewable, continuously available source of power to meet growing energy demands. 

For more information, visit www.utcpower.com.

Publication date:08/06/2007