SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., June 1, 2011– UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company, today announced that Whole Foods Market has selected UTC Power’s PureCell System Model 400 to provide clean, reliable on-site power to a new store in Fairfield, Conn. The 400 kilowatt (kW) UTC Power fuel cell system will generate 90 percent of the store’s electricity needs, and its byproduct thermal energy will be used for store heating, cooling and refrigeration. This marks the second Whole Foods Market in Connecticut and the fourth Whole Foods Market in the United States to install a UTC Power fuel cell. 

“In connection to our company’s green mission, we are very proud to be reducing our carbon footprint while producing clean energy in our new Fairfield, Connecticut location,” said Tristam Coffin, green mission specialist for Whole Foods Market’s Northeast region. “UTC Power has been a great local partner in implementing our fuel cell to help us to reduce our environmental impact in the Fairfield community.”

The UTC Power fuel cell installed at the Fairfield, Conn., store will be supported with a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) through its On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program.

“This fuel cell project demonstrates Whole Foods Market’s continued commitment to sustainability by using smarter and more efficient sources of energy in our local communities,” said Bryan Garcia, president of CCEF. “Because supermarkets consume a lot of heat and electricity, they provide a great application for UTC’s fuel cells. By utilizing both the thermal and power attributes of fuel cells, energy is used more efficiently and therefore contributes to the bottom line of the company.”

“UTC Power is proud of our ongoing relationship with Whole Foods Market and we are excited that the company has decided to install our next-generation Model 400 at a new store in UTC Power’s home state of Connecticut,” said Neal Montany, director of UTC Power’s stationary fuel cell business. “It is truly rewarding to have Whole Foods Market as a repeat customer and to know that our fuel cell technology is fulfilling our customer’s energy needs and helping them achieve their sustainability goals.”

By generating most of its power on-site with a fuel cell, the Whole Foods Market Fairfield, Conn., store will prevent the release of more than 847 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – the equivalent of planting more than 85 acres of trees. The reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions compared to a conventional power plant are equal to the environmental benefit of removing more than 100 cars from the road. In addition to the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the PureCell System will allow Whole Foods Market to save nearly 3.5 million gallons of water annually. Unlike central generation and other fuel cell technologies, the PureCell System is designed to operate in water balance so there is no consumption or discharge of water during its operation.

UTC Power’s stationary fuel cell, the PureCell System is a combined heat and power system that represents a game-changing technology. Compared to typical central generation and other fuel cell offerings, the PureCell System offers customers lower energy costs, reduced emissions, an industry-leading 90 percent system efficiency, 10-year cell stack durability and 20-year product life. No other stationary fuel cell product in the field today can offer the same range of benefits as the PureCell System.

The 400 kilowatt fuel cell in Fairfield, Conn., joins a growing fleet of PureCell Systems powering Whole Foods Market stores.  A 200-kilowatt UTC Power fuel cell has powered a Whole Foods Market store in Glastonbury, Conn., since March 2008 and the company’s 400-kilowatt fuel cell is providing electricity, heat and hot water for stores in Dedham, Mass., and San Jose, Calif.