District Energy3d Quarter 1997 | Volume 83 Number 1COVER STORY Big-Time Marketing of a Small-Town Steam System Jon Fabre, Energy Coordinator, New Ulm Public Utilities; Robert W. Stevenson, PE, Director of Utilities, New Ulm Public Utilities Though the global expansion of district energy systems is fueled primarily by the industry’s largest operations, many smaller systems are growing aggressively as well. The district steam utility in New Ulm, Minn., population 14,000, is a case in point. By employing customer-driven marketing strategies, New Ulm Public Utilities has reversed the decline of its steam service and today anticipates what could be the greatest expansion of its district energy system in the company’s 82-year history.
FEATURES Cool Idea Heats Up Downtown Windsor, Canada A. Stanley Gent, Engineering and Conceptual Development Vice President, Unicom Thermal Technologies Inc. Electric utility Ontario Hydro and Chicago-based Unicom Thermal Technologies Inc. have teamed up in a joint venture to supply heating, cooling and standby power to downtown Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Late in 1997, their new company, Northwind Windsor, is slated to begin service to its first customer, the Casino Windsor – uniquely also the landlord for the city’s new district energy plant. Such collaborative arrangements between district energy providers and utilities are becoming increasingly common in the changing electric market.
Wroclaw Advances Poland’s National Energy Policy Henry Manczyk, CPE, CEM, Director of Facilities Management, County of Monroe, New York Years of central economic planning under communist rule have left a legacy of high energy consumption in the former Soviet bloc country of Poland, where two to three times more energy is used for heating purposes than in Western Europe nations. But today that’s beginning to change, with formulation of a national policy for increasing energy efficiency, improving conservation and reducing pollution. The historic city of Wroclaw exemplifies what many communities across Poland – and their district energy systems – are doing to better manage their energy resources.
Cleveland’s Medical Center Co. Meets Members’ Cooling Needs Michael B. Danzig, PE, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, The Medical Center Co. A private, not-for-profit district utility, Cleveland’s Medical Center Co. provides steam and various other services to the 61 buildings of its member institutions – a diverse group of renowned organizations such as Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals of Cleveland and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Last year the company began to offer chilled-water for cooling and built a new electrical substation. Such developments reflect the Medical Center Co.’s commitment to meeting members’ needs for competitively priced, reliable and superior service.
Conference Wrapup – Global District Energy: Investing in Energy Infrastructure Hundreds of attendees from around the world participated in IDEA’s 88th Annual Conference & Trade Show, held June 14-17, 1997 in San Diego, Calif. With numerous technical presentations on a variety of topics, an exhibition of industry products and services, and unlimited networking opportunities, the conference was a not-to-be missed event. Here’s a wrapup of conference activities, including this year’s award winners.
On the Cover The 102-ft statue of Hermann of Cherusci, liberator of Germany and the father of Germanic independence, towers over the city of New Ulm, Minn., and its 14,000 residents. The city’s district energy system is seeing the greatest expansion in its 82-year history. Courtesy of Allan Gebhard, New Ulm. Photograph by Allan Gebhard,
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