Ecogrid

Internship

ECO-GRID Bridging a Historic Past and a Sustainable Future

Eco-Grid is affiliated with The Center for Environmental and Economic Partnership, INC. ("CEEP)

WHO WE ARE: Eco-Grid is a Hudson-based non-profit that provides the technical, outreach and fundraising leadership/management for the development of a renewable-energy in Hudson, New York. Hudson, New York's compact grid layout and surrounding rural economy both create many possibilities for its transition into the "clean-tech" economy of the 21st century. Utilizing existing proven technologies in an integrated fashion, we can create a replicable model for other communities to follow. WHAT WE ARE DEVELOPING: We are currently conducting a feasibility study and are seeking funding sources to have a larger study underwritten, our operations costs met, and special-project budgeting completed. The goal of the feasibility study is to compare potential district-energy infrastructure systems for the distribution of electricity, heating and cooling. A water or steam district energy system includes 3 distinct elements: a distribution network, customer connections, and one or more centralized heating/cooling sources. Eco-Grid is investigating the use of solar thermal, geo-exchange, anaerobic digestion and biomass as sources of thermal energy for this network. WHY HUDSON? According to our preliminary analysis, the City of Hudson and adjacent Town of Greenport appear to be a very suitable site for development a new community-wide district energy infrastructure. Consumers spend more than $10 million dollars annually for heating fuel, most of which is imported from outside the state. Nearly 25% of Hudson's families live below the poverty level and are particularly exposed to the debilitating effects of fuel poverty. To make matters more difficult on a local level, heating costs have also risen more than 60% in the last five years. ECO-GRID FEASIBILITY STUDY: THE COMPONENTS - In moving this project forward, the primary components of an ongoing feasibility study include a marketing analysis of energy customers in Hudson/Greenport (heat load calculations, market interest, and inventory of existing energy systems); site-selection analysis; emissions estimation; biomass availability and sourcing options; comparison of different distributed generation options; and preliminary engineering design of a piping network to distribute hot water. Although we have though of specific applications for our efforts so far, the process itself of research and stakeholder conversation will yield many discoveries and provide a replicable model for other communities to follow. Although ambitious, this opportunity gives Hudson the chance to choose and control its own clean, secure energy future. DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION, RESEARCH AND GOALS: Eco-Grid is a non-profit that is serving as a "catalyst" for a plan to create a sustainable community energy infrastructure in Hudson, NY. Bringing together an extensive group of collaborators and advisors in areas of engineering, finance, law, environmental science, communications, media, among others, Eco-Grid is comprised of a core team of 3, which receive assistance from the platform roster, as needed. Together they outline and implement goals that support the aforementioned plan of "sustainable community energy infrastructure." ECO-GRID's mission also comprises education/outreach and community-based activities. BUSINESS ACTIVITY; APPROXIMATE SIZE AND EXPERIENCE: As an organization, the ECO-GRID core team operates on a daily basis by means of combined expertise in areas of administration, project and business management, fundraising, communications/media. In addition, a group of on-call, Informal Advisors lends Eco-Grid ongoing proficiency in all legal matters; as well as in non-profit and creative direction. Eco-Grid's Fiscal sponsor CEEP INC, the non-profit arm of the Environmental Business Association of NY, also provides the core team with additional skill in areas of business development and administration. And last but not least, Richard Cohen, Eco-Grid's founder, supplies a strong business background as a real-estate developer and owner/operator of a voice-recording company with a powerful roster of clients. .