Renewables & Cleaner Technologies

Bronx Zoo Lion House Renovation Project

Bronx, New York, United States

Client: Wildlife Conservation Society

Parsons Brinckerhoff Role: Construction Management

Past the gates of the Bronx Zoo, through the doors of the landmark Lion House and down a few floors beneath a collection of animals indigenous to the island of Madagascar stands a 10-foot-tall (3-meter-tall), 20-ton fuel cell that was designed and installed by Parsons Brinckerhoff as part of the Lion House Renovation Project. The fuel cell, which provides year-round clean power and thermal energy, is a key component of the five-year renovation project commissioned by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and the New York Power Authority.

Built in 1903, the Lion House was renamed the Madagascar House when it was partially reopened in June 2008. The 19,000-square-foot (1,800-square-meter) building housed lions until 1985, when it was closed, although its architecture was maintained. In 2003, the Wildlife Conservation Society developed a plan to renovate and expand the building, placing an emphasis on sustainability.

Along with the fuel cell, the building features geothermal heating and cooling as well as a recycled water system. Upon reopening, it was given a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council—a first for a New York City landmark.

The fuel cell is fueled by natural gas and has an electrical output capacity of 200 kilowatts. As an additional function, the fuel cell generates heat internally, which is used to provide space heating and domestic hot water in the building.

The fuel cell was commissioned in early 2010. It runs in conjunction with the existing Bronx Zoo cogeneration plant and with the local utility’s (Consolidated Edison) power grid.

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Around the world, Parsons Brinckerhoff is working on projects to exploit renewable sources of energy, to develop alternatives to diminishing fossil fuels and combat the dangers of climate change. We have a diverse portfolio of renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal power generation projects. Our engineers are actively researching techniques to realize the potential of renewable energy as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

In France, we provided engineering advice to the bank that served as financier for a wind farm project that delivers power to 30,000 homes; we’ve also provided technical services on large-scale wind farms in other locations. In the UK, we’ve contributed to a major study of the tidal energy potential of the Severn Estuary. In Australia, we’ve participated in numerous geothermal projects, including a project to generate zero-emission electricity from the world’s hottest rocks outside volcanic regions. In California in the U.S., we provided program management for the installation of photovoltaic panels on top of 34 parking lot canopies, creating the largest solar power installation at any U.S. college or university. We’ve also participated in numerous hydroelectric power projects, in locations ranging from Greenland to Africa to Papua New Guinea.

Parsons Brinckerhoff has been involved in the development of renewable power since the early days of the 20^th century, when we focused on hydroelectric power projects in the U.S. Today, Parsons Brinckerhoff experts around the world are contributing to projects that tap a range of renewable sources, to meet the needs and priorities of the 21^st century.

Power/Energy

Renewables & Cleaner Technologies

Renewables & Cleaner Technologies