Clocktower Close Award for Solar Energy with Plaza R&M & MHR

On December 3rd, Clocktower Close Condominiums (25 Grand Street in Norwalk) received the Stamford 2030 District’s 5th Annual Change Makers Award in the category of energy during an evening ceremony held at the Metro Green Terrace in Stamford. The extensive solar panel project, estimated to save $37,000 a year in energy costs, was a collaboration between the Clocktower Close Condominiums Association Board of Directors, Plaza Realty & Management Corporation and MHR Development. Eversource, the energy utility company with offices in Berlin, Connecticut, introduced and connected the two companies. “The complex solar project represents an extraordinary example of adaptive reuse and sustainable housing that took two years to complete from the time we initially reached out to MHR,” says Richard J. Smeriglio, vice president of Plaza Realty & Management in Stamford (PlazaRealtyMgmt.com). Plaza R&M, with the support of Erica Bell (President of Clocktower Close), coordinated and helped manage meetings that secured an unprecedented 80% of association owner votes to implement the project. MHR provided tech, regulatory, project management, and construction services.

The 91 Fountain Terrace Association of Stamford, another client of Plaza Realty & Management Corporation, also received an honorable mention award accepted by their president, Anthony Spetsaris, for upgrades to the electrical system for their community that have improved the building’s energy use and utility savings for its unit owners. The Stamford-based Plaza R&M specializes in property management, both residential and commercial, real estate sales and leasing, and a select area of specialty services.

“It’s the largest rooftop solar installation for a residential condominium building in the New England region,” explains Mark Robbins, president of the clean energy consulting company, MHR Development (mhrdevelopment.com) in Norwalk. The project represents a first year 70% reduction in the cost of energy and exponential savings in the years to come. On November 8, 2019, the building completed a deep energy retrofit that included converting boilers from oil to high-efficiency condensing natural gas boilers along with a new water efficient cooling tower with variable speed circulation pumps. With the recent addition of the 161.16 kW solar system, Clocktower Close is on its way to becoming net zero, with respect to the building’s common electric load. The historical building can now boast as home to one of the region’s largest solar installations on a residential facility.

The Annual Change Makers Award is an initiative of The Business Council of Fairfield County recognizing sustainability leaders and projects in the areas of energy, water, transportation and resiliency. The globally-recognized advisor, writer, and speaker on sustainable business, Andrew Winston, Founder of Winston Eco-Strategies, was the keynote speaker on “Climate Change and Corporate Engagement.” The annual reception celebrates members of Stamford 2030, one of 17 districts across the nation advancing resource efficiency and strengthening the local economy. The Stamford 2030 District is nationally-recognized, interdisciplinary public-private-nonprofit collaborative working to create a groundbreaking high performance buildings in downtown Stamford. The collaborative aims to dramatically reduce energy and water consumption and reduce emissions from transportation, while increasing competitiveness in the business environment and owners' returns on investment. See 2030districts.org