RFR Realty completed the installation of charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) in four of its seven Stamford office buildings. RFR has installed charging stations in three of the four Stamford Plaza office buildings and at 300 Atlantic St.
"We are keeping up with and anticipating the requests and needs of our tenants with this proactive initiative," said Frank Kozak, general manager of RFR Realty in Stamford. "RFR is excited to take advantage of the opportunity to become a leader in clean technology. It will help us to make future decisions about the type of infrastructure that is needed in our buildings as the vehicles become more common."
The installation is part of a major collaborative research project with Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) and its parent company Northeast Utilities. CL&P's EV research project is the most comprehensive study of plug-in car recharging in New England. RFR is among 30 area companies and municipalities that have signed on to install and maintain the charging equipment. CL&P provided the charging stations at One and Two Stamford Plaza. RFR independently installed charging stations in Four Stamford Plaza and at 300 Atlantic St.
Use of the stations is currently available free of charge to tenants.
"The reason that I purchased an EV is because RFR installed the charging station in our building. I have quite a long commute to work and on-site charging provides an enormous savings and convenience," said Lori Penchuk of Bennett Management Corp., which is located at Two Stamford Plaza. "I was spending a fortune on gas, so when RFR announced the installation, I decided to buy the Volt. I think sooner rather than later there are going to be more and more people who switch to these kinds of cars for environmental and financial reasons. We would love to see more charging stations put in place at Stamford Plaza."
"There is a growing interest in electric vehicles in the region, so it is commendable that RFR has taken the initiative to support the use of EVs by adding the convenience of charging stations in the parking garages," said Jim Fagan, senior managing director ofCushman & Wakefield's Stamford office, located at Four Stamford Plaza. "By supporting the market for plug-in EVs, RFR has made it one step easier to benefit from a cleaner, lower-cost and easily accessible fuel alternative."
CL&P collects and analyzes each station's meter data to study charging usage and system needs. The goal of the project is to acquire data and hands-on experience with researching plug-in stations in various settings.
"We are proud to be among the first area companies that are taking the necessary steps to bring the future to Stamford and being a technology pioneer." said Margaret Carlson,portfolio director of RFR Realty in Stamford. "By anticipating and supporting the market for plug-in EVs, we can benefit from a cleaner, lower-cost and locally available fuel alternative."
In Stamford, RFR Realty owns and manages seven Class-A office buildings totaling 1.8 million s/f. The portfolio includes One, Two, Three, and Four Stamford Plaza, 177 Broad St., 300 Atlantic St., and Canterbury Green.