District Energy Now
Volume 11 Number 6 January 1996
Welcome New Members!
David R. Gillikan
1761 Moonstone Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
(804) 471-9619
Herman P. Stone
President
Salman M. Sheikh
Vice President
Fossil Consulting Services, Inc.
10015 Old Columbia Road
Suite C-220
Columbia, MD 21046
(410) 312-6240
(410) 312-5261 fax
referred by Barry Kumar of GSA
Robert Seanor
Sermetel Marketing Manager
Mark Barford
Business Unit Manager, Industrial Turbo Services
Sermatech International Inc.
155 South Limerick Road
Limerick, PA 19468
(610) 948-2847
(610) 948-0811 fax
referred by Marco Orsetti of Trigen-Nassau Energy Corporation
Calendar of Events
1996 ASHRAE Winter Meeting
February 17-21, 1996
Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA
Contact: ASHRAE, (800) 5-ASHRAE or (404) 636-8400
ASHRAE Winter Meeting Program
IDEA 9th Annual College/University Conference
February 21-23, 1996
The Hyatt Rickeys Hotel, Palo Alto, CA
Hosted by Stanford University
Contact: IDEA (202) 429-5111
Conference program and hotel information
Marketing Workshop
March 7-9, 1996
Marriott City Center, Denver, CO
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-5111 or Marketing Forum Chairman Jon
Wohl, (215) 875-6900 ext. 169.
87th Annual IDEA Conference and Tradeshow
June 8-12, 1996
The Sheraton Washington Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-5111
11th Annual Cooling Conference
October 2-4, 1996
The Midland Hotel, Chicago, IL
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-5111
Washington, DC Meeting Watch
An Exhibitor Prospectus was mailed to potential exhibitors in December. Please contact Tammie Jackson or Stephanie Mattes at IDEA if you have questions about exhibiting at the show.
Since the meeting is in Washington, a Legislative Day is being planned for Wednesday, June 12. For those attendees who are interested and sign up in advance, appointments will be made to meet with lawmakers. Before going to Capitol Hill, attendees will learn tips on how to approach Senators and Representatives and their staff.
Look for more information on the Legislative Day in the Preliminary Program and Registration Brochure which will be mailed and placed on line next month!
9th Annual College/University Conference Planned for February
The brochure and registration information was mailed to all IDEA and APPA members in early December. The theme of this year's conference is Utility Business Operations in the 90s.
Please contact IDEA at (202) 429-5111 if you would like to receive a copy of the preliminary program and registration information.
MIT Cogeneration Plant Now Fully Operational
The cogeneration plant will now provide MIT's main campus buildings with all needed steam heat and cooling and 75 percent of their electricity needs around the clock. Construction was started in spring 1993, and attendees at the 8th Annual IDEA College/University Conference in February 1995 were able to view the facility during its construction. The new plant will generate approximately 20 megawatts of electricity.
To meet MIT's electric needs beyond the 75 percent provided by the new plant, MIT will continue to buy power from the Cambridge Electric Company. Electricity from Cambridge Electric will cover MIT if the generator is out of service or the peak demand exceeds the generator capacity, and will also provide power to the buildings on MIT's periphery.
When MIT first moved to Cambridge, it was powered by its own cogeneration plant and operated solely under its own power until the 1940s, according to Tom Shepherd. Shepherd retired as MIT's associate director of Physical Plant in January 1993 but played a major role in establishing the new cogeneration plant.
Many people in the physical plant were involved in making the transition to cogeneration. In particular, Roger Moore, superintendent of utilities and an IDEA member, worked on the cogeneration project for eight years. Allen J. (Joe) Cavicchi, project manager for the last two years, left his role this summer to pursue full-time study for an advanced degree at MIT.
MIT commissioned Parsons Main, Inc., of Boston to design the facility, provide construction assistance and start-up services. The work involved replacing two of the five existing oil-fueled boilers with new cogeneration units and upgrading the others, which will be used as backup units.
Publications Available Through DOE
- DOE DHC Cooling Program - "A Decade of Accomplishments"
- 1992 National Census for District Heating, Cooling & Cogeneration
- IEA Promotional Manual for District Energy Systems
- IEA The Design and Operation of Ice-Slurry Based District Cooling System
- IEA Consumer Heating System Simulation
- BNL Increased Use of Reject Heat From Electric Generation
Canadian Municipalities Tour Sweden
The primary objective of the tour was to study the underlying legislative, political, environmental, financial and organizational conditions which have led to the development of Sweden's extensive district energy industry. The delegates' goal was to learn more about the Swedish district energy practices and adapt them to be used in Canada.
The delegates were impressed with Swedish technologies used in production and distribution of district energy and how they manage combustion emissions from a diverse portfolio of fossil fuel, municipal solid waste and renewable biomass resources. They were also impressed with Sweden's success with small and large scale combined heat and power (cogeneration) plants and the energy efficiency and environmental gains which are being achieved.
IDEA is hoping to plan a similar educational European study tour for members in the fall of 1996.
District Energy St. Paul Employees Deliver Energy Refund Checks
"We are extremely pleased that due to superior operating efficiency and our ability to burn a variety of fuels -- natural gas, coal, oil and waste wood -- we have experienced annual energy costs that are even lower than our already low, competitive rates, resulting in significant refunds," said Anders Rydaker, president of District Energy and a director of IDEA. "Personal delivery of the refund checks creates a wonderful opportunity for interaction between our employees and our valued customers."
Total energy refunds for the year for small residential heating customers vary from $10 to $20, while large district heating customers will receive $8,000 to $20,000. A typical office building will receive a total refund of about $2,000. Energy refunds for cooling customers will average about $3,000 each.
Energy cost savings go directly back to district heating and cooling customers because of the non-profit structure of both District Energy St. Paul and its affiliate, District Cooling St. Paul.
District Energy St. Paul has operated a district heating system in downtown St. Paul since 1983. The system currently provides heating service to 136 large buildings and 298 town homes, including 74 percent of the central business district. District Cooling St. Paul began operating a district cooling system in April 1993. Twenty-eight customers are currently on-line, and five other newly signed customers will be on-line in 1996-97. Ultimately the system will provide air-conditioning service to over 50 downtown buildings.
RFP Issued for Nashville Thermal
The RFP was officially released December 11, 1995 and sealed bids from interested parties are due February 5, 1996.
The RFP calls for either the purchase or lease of the facility and a full payment of the bonded indebtedness. The request also requires the buyer or lessor to maintain all the current contracts and provide upgrades to meet all environmental regulations. It also requires that all trash for which Metro is responsible be sent there.
The sale or lease of the facility will require Metro Council approval and review by the Solid Waste Region Board.
Nashville Thermal, an IDEA member, receives an average of 900 tons of waste per day - about 40% of the total generated in Nashville - and turns it into energy to heat and cool 39 downtown buildings.
BGE Receives Franchise Agreement
In December 1995, Baltimore City Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke signed a bill that allows Comfort Link to install heating and cooling pipe in City rights-of-way. This action follows final passage of Baltimore City Council Bill 1295 on November 27.
In May 1995, Comfort Link announced the availability of its cooling program to downtown building owners and managers. For cooling, Comfort Link uses ice storage technology, economies of scale and off-peak electric rates to provide customers an economic alternative to meet their cooling needs.
Comfort Link's second plant will include both heating and cooling and is in the development stages. It will be a larger plant and serve as a hub for the system as it grows. Comfort Link is also expected to move its headquarters into this site.