District Energy

2nd Quarter 1998 | Volume 83 Number 4

Decidedly pro-environment, Denmark is a world leader in developing renewable energy resources. Since a mid-1980s government study concluded that biogas was an economically feasible fuel, 18 Danish biogas plants now generate electricity and heat from animal waste, returning the residuals to farmers as fertilizer. Denmark has historically also relied on biomass, which today fuels 62 district heating operations across the country. Denmark’s current national energy policy calls for even greater dependence on these sustainable energy sources.

An early 1998 ice storm ravaged parts of Québec, Ontario, and the northeastern United States, with Québec alone suffering damages estimated at more than Cdn. $1 billion. Montréal district energy distributor CCUM separated from Hydro-Quebec’s electric grid for 11 days to relieve demand on the larger system. Throughout the crisis, CCUM rallied employees and continued uninterrupted district energy service to 20 high-rise office buildings in downtown Montréal, including the Canadian National Railway central headquarters, two hotels and Bell Canada’s telephone communication center.

Bill Hathorn, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Full Circle Inc.

In the wake of the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) production ban, many district cooling companies have replaced or retrofit their chillers to accommodate non-CFC refrigerant. Others, however, continue using their equipment with existing CFC-refrigerant stockpiles. With virgin refrigerant supplies diminishing and recycled refrigerant not commercially available, some companies are choosing to use reclaimed product.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s district heating systems such as those in St. Paul, Minn., Jamestown, N.Y., and Trenton, N.J., were born, some partially funded by special programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In March 1983 the St. Paul company then known as District Heating Development Company broke ground for hot water district heating system construction. It has since been true to the purpose of its funding source and to the original vision of company chairman and former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer.

Even though there is no anchor district cooling customer in Cincinnati, Trigen-Cinergy’s new district cooling system now serves six buildings with peak cooling loads ranging from 650 to 800 tons. Under 20-year contracts, building owners are expected to save between $400,000 and $2 million in capital expenditures while eliminating their use of chlorofluorocarbons. More than 30 additional customers appear to be waiting in the wings.

Published annually, the detachable special insert District Energy Space features photographs of many of the buildings that became district energy customers during 1997. Total new square footage added in 1997 to district energy systems represented in this insert: +15,149,617.