District Energy Now
Volume 13 Number 1 August 1997
Welcome New Members!
We hope you will join us in welcomingthe following new members of IDEA!
Aloj Poredos
Associate Professor
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Askerceva 6
Ljubijana (1000)
Slovenia
386-61-1771408
386-218-576 fax
E-mail: alojz.poredos@fs.uni-lj.si
Robert Weaver
Steam Consultant
Allied Technical Consultants, Inc.
8 Esther Circle
Sinking Spring, PA 19608
(610) 777-7804
(610) 777-7804 fax
referred by Jan Sockel of Harrisburg Steam WorksCalendar of Events
12th Annual IDEA Cooling Conference October 15-17, 1997
Wyndham Hotel, Cleveland, OH
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-5111
IDEA Distribution Workshop
November 5-7, 1997
Mayflower Park Hotel, Seattle, WA
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-5111
3rd Annual Canadian District Energy Association Meeting
November 5-8, 1997
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada
Contact: (613) 947-5287
IDEA Marketing Workshop
February 25-26, 1998
Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach & Marina Hotel, Redondo Beach, CA
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-5111
11th Annual College/University Conference
February 25-27, 1998
Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach & Marina Hotel, Redondo Beach, CA
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-5111
89th Annual IDEA Conference & Trade Show
June 13-16, 1998
San Antonio Convention Center & Hilton Palacio del Rio Hotel, San Antonio, TX
Contact: IDEA, (202) 4295111
Toronto District Heating Corporation Launches District Cooling
On June 25, 1997, Mayor Barbara Hall officially launched Toronto District Heating Corporation's (TDHC) state-of-the-art district cooling plant in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC).
The convention centre, the plant's first customer, will utilize up to 3,000 tons of chilled water per hour but will have an ultimate capacity to produce 52,000 tons.
The TDHC plant will be initially equipped with steam-fired absorption chillers which, unlike their centrifugal counterparts, use almost no electricity and completely eliminate use of damaging CFC-based refrigerants. An innovative feature is the use of lake water rather than cooling towers for heat rejection. Without the towers, the noise, vibration and humidity that is typically generated is eliminated and the process is more energy-efficient.
"We're building the foundation of a completely integrated energy service," says president and CEO Alex Bystrin. "Our steam distribution network already provides heating to over 100 major commercial, institutional and government buildings. We have a 100% reliability record and competitive rates."
TDHC also announced that design work is underway for a district cooling network covering downtown Toronto from Bloor Street to Front Street and serving almost 200 potential customers. The network would consist of five cooling "islands," each supplied by its own plant. Developed one by one, all would eventually be linked in order to trade capacity as needed. As the first of these, the MTCC plant is intended to be the cooling engine for the developing Railway Lands and Toronto's lower downtown -- as well as a deep lake water cooling site.
Once deep lake water cooling is in operation, the MTCC plant will be converted from absorption chiller to house pumps to circulate the deep lake water.
TDHC is a statutory, not-for-profit corporation established by the amalgamation of several stand-alone heating systems in 1980.
NRG Acquires San Diego Power & Cooling
NRG Energy, Inc. announced the purchase of San Diego Power & Cooling Company from the Ridgewood Power Corporation on June 25, 1997. San Diego Power & Cooling serves 14 major customers in the downtown Central Business District through an underground piping system designed to supply a peak demand of 15,000 tons of chilled water.
NRG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northern States Power Company, is one of the largest district energy companies in the United States. It owns or has ownership interests in central heating and cooling facilities in Minneapolis, San Francisco and Pittsburgh. NRG also owns and operates steam pipelines serving industrial and institutional customers in several states.
Trigen Energy and PCS Apply Thermal Sciences to Reduce Steam Pipe Energy Losses
Trigen Energy and Power Component Systems, of Hanover, Maryland, announced on June 24, 1997 that they have formed a joint venture company whose mission is to minimize losses from steam distribution systems.
The venture has developed INSITU FoamÔ, a reinsulation process that improves network efficiency by injecting liquid chemicals into the conduits housing the underground steam pipes. In the presence of extreme heat, these chemicals react and form a closed cell foam material, surrounding the pipes, sealing out ground water and providing a highly efficient thermal insulation.
The Trigen/PCS joint venture will reinsulate five miles of Trigen's steam pipe in Philadelphia and Boston this year, and has been awarded its first outside contract by the University of Maryland to insulate underground pipe at the College Park campus.
The entire INSITU FoamÔ process is performed while the steam system is operating. Traffic disruption is minimal because the conduit penetration required for inserting the chemical injection lines in the pavement or sidewalk is accessed through vacuum excavation, and ultimately is just four to six inches in diameter. This avoids construction trenches associated with costly alternative approaches. Successful pilot efforts have been conducted on two miles of steam pipelines in Trigen's Philadelphia and Baltimore operating companies where the process has cut wasted heat by more than 50% and reduced the fuel burned to make steam. Results in Philadelphia indicate that the energy saved will pay for the cost of installation in three to five years, with asbestos encapsulation a bonus.
Public Service Co. of Colorado to Offer Downtown Denver a Cool Solution
Public Service Company of Colorado announced on Aug. 5 that it will be providing downtown Denver office buildings with an alternative to traditional air conditioning and an alternative to ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants by next summer. Public Service Co. will build, operate, and maintain a district chilled water cooling system that can serve most of the air conditioning needs of downtown Denver.
The company has received letters of intent from four downtown buildings, including the Tabor Center office building. The letters enable Public Service Co. to move forward with its investment in chilled water cooling. The company plans to begin construction of its first chiller plant later this summer, which will provide approximately 25,000 tons of chilled water and can handle about one third of downtown Denver's cooling needs. Public Service Co.'s investment will total more than $40 million over the next five years to complete the centralized system.
"Centralized chilled water cooling is an important example of the new solutions that will benefit customers as Public Service Company becomes more competitive. We aren't waiting for deregulation to offer our customers new products and services. District cooling will help customers reduce their need for peak power which helps them better manage energy costs, because their energy usage is more consistent," said Charles Mather, general manager of Public Service Co. District Cooling.
PSC also operates the oldest continuously operating commercial district heating system in the world, which began supplying steam to downtown Denver on November 5, 1880. Denver also had an early district cooling system that began service in 1889, but operated less than 20 years.
People in the News
Kattner/FVB District Energy Inc. announces that Mei Jiang has joined the firm as a business analyst. Previously, Mei was a financial analyst for Forward Business Consulting Inc.
Northwind Boston announces that Matthew Fallon has joined the company as their director of construction. Matthew most recently worked for Trigen-Boston Energy.
Trigen Energy Announces New Power Plant in Downtown Baltimore
Trigen Energy announced its plans to build a new combined heat and power plant in downtown Baltimore that will produce 3.5 megawatts of electricity and 30,000 pounds per hour of steam. The new facility will be built on the site of Trigen's Saratoga Street Steam Production Plant.
The new plant will be one of the most efficient and economical in North America, incorporating a standardized design that Trigen has successfully deployed in London, Ontario. That particular facility recently was awarded the 1997 Cogeneration and Competitive Power Institute Cogeneration Project of the Year Award for projects less than 5 MW.
Additionally, Trigen has reached an agreement in principle with Baltimore RESCO to extend their existing relationship another 15 years for the supply of steam from the waste-to-energy facility.
JFK Energy Center Awarded Cogeneration Project of the Year
KIAC Partners, a 50/50 partnership of Community Energy Alternatives (CEA), a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group of New Jersey, and Gas Energy, Inc. (GEI), a subsidiary of the Brooklyn Union Gas Company of New York announced Aug. 6 that they have received a Cogeneration Project of the Year Award for projects over 25 MW for the Kennedy International Airport Energy Center. The award was presented by the Association of Energy Engineers, a nonprofit professional society at the opening session of the Competitive Power Congress at the Garden State Convention Center in Somerset, New Jersey.
The award recognizes the 109 MW JFK Energy Center as an innovative combined cycle
cogeneration facility. Since its operation in 1995, the energy center provides the airport with all of its electricity, heating and air conditioning and is the only facility in the central terminal area that is not operated by an airline. The facility is environmentally friendly from its aesthetic design to the technology used to control emissions. The emission levels are among the lowest of any cogeneration plant in the U.S. CEA Kennedy Operators Incorporated, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of CEA, operates and maintains both the facility and a large heating and cooling district heating network.
Sponsorship Opportunities Available
The following sponsorship opportunities are available for the 12th Annual IDEA Cooling Conference:
Refreshment Breaks: There are three refreshment breaks during the conference. Breaks include coffee, tea, decaf, and either juices or sodas. $500 each break
Conference Program: Sponsorship of the conference program will include an advertisement on the back cover of the final program distributed to all of the attendees at the conference. $750
Breakfasts: A continental breakfast will be offered on Thursday and Friday for attendees and spouses. The breakfast will include pastries, coffee, tea and juice. $1,000 each day
Thursday's Luncheon: Attendees will enjoy a three-course, sit-down lunch. A keynote speech will be given during this time. $2,000
Friday's Luncheon: Attendees will enjoy a three-course, sit-down lunch. An association update will be given during this time. $2,000
Welcoming Reception: This reception will be held on Wednesday evening to welcome attendees as they arrive in the hotel before going to dinner on their own. Refreshments will include a hosted bar (including beer, wine and soft drinks), as well as a variety of cold and hot hors d'oeuvres. $2,000
Thursday Evening Reception: This reception will be held on Thursday evening at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. $11,000 (partial sponsorships available)
Sponsors will be formally recognized on a sign at the sponsored function and be mentioned in the IDEA newsletter. Every effort will be made to include sponsors' names in the preliminary conference brochure that is mailed out as well as in the final program distributed on site.
The conference, District Cooling: Improving Performance & Controlling Costs, is being held at the Wyndham Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 15-17, 1997.
Contact IDEA immediately at (202) 429-5111 to reserve a sponsorship for your company!