District Energy Now
Volume 13 Number 3 October 1997
Welcome New Members!
We hope you will join us in welcoming the following new members of IDEA!
Frank Statscewich
Supervisor, Water Distribution
Rutgers University
Utilities Department
Building 4117, Livingston Campus
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
732-445-0299
732-445-0007 fax
E-mail: fstats@fmo.rutgers.edureferred by Paul Meierdierck of Rutgers University
Joseph Witchger
Mechanical Engineer
Orr-Schelen-Mayeron & Associates, Inc.
5775 Wayzata Blvd. #300
Minneapolis, MN 55416-1228
612-595-5775
612-595-5773 fax
referred by Tim Lorencz of Kattner/FVB District Energy, Inc.Emmanuel Day
Electrical Department Manager
Orr-Schelen-Mayeron & Associates, Inc.
5775 Wayzata Blvd. #300
Minneapolis, MN 55416-1228
612-595-5775
612-595-5773 fax
referred by Tim Lorencz of Kattner/FVB District Energy, IncMaria Magdalena Lelek
Senior Project Engineer
Shooshanian Engineering Associates, Inc.
330 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02210
617-426-0110
617-426-7358 faxDavid Leach
General Manager
Trigen/PCS
7526 Connelley Drive
Hanover, MD 21076
800-229-7270
410-760-0022
410-760-0028 fax
E-mail: environpcs@aol.com
Tanya Kozel
Marketing Manager
Trigen/PCS
7526 Connelley Drive
Hanover, MD 21076
800-229-7270
410-760-0022
410-760-0028 fax
E-mail: environpcs@aol.com
Calendar of Events
IDEA Distribution Workshop
November 5-7, 1997
Mayflower Park Hotel, Seattle, WA
Contact: IDEA, (202) 429-51113rd Annual Canadian District Energy Association Meeting
November 5-7, 1997
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada
Contact: (613) 947-5287IDEA 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
District Energy is Focus of Increasing Interest as Administration Addresses Climate Change As the Clinton administration prepares for a crucial climate change negotiation in Kyoto, Japan in early December, district energy integrated with combined heat and power (CHP) is increasingly recognized as an important opportunity to reduce U.S. greenhouse gases with existing technology.
IDEA has recently stepped up its interaction with administration officials and interest groups involved in the climate change issue. Independently, Trigen Energy Corporation has also been promoting CHP (cogeneration) as a key climate change strategy. Prior IDEA efforts have laid the groundwork in the form of increased awareness and understanding of district energy and its importance in facilitating the implementation of CHP. Recent IDEA efforts have focused on providing analytical data on the potential for carbon dioxide reductions through district energy and on proposing policy measures for encouraging CHP and district energy.
During September, Mark Spurr, IDEA Legislative Director, and Gordon Bloomquist, Chair of the IDEA Government Relations Committee, met with officials in the White House, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. A focus of the discussions was the administration's effort to identify initiatives which the President can undertake through Executive Orders or other mechanisms to encourage reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. IDEA has proposed, in conjunction with coalition partners who share our goals, a set of measures for encouraging implementation of CHP and district energy through changes in air quality regulation, utility restructuring and tax provisions. Spurr and Bloomquist also met with staff for Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA), who has agreed to sponsor a "Dear Colleague" letter noting the environmental benefits of district energy with an attached copy of a recent IDEA magazine article authored by Bloomquist ("Nordic Countries Reduce Air Emissions with District Energy," First Quarter 1997).
In a presentation to television weatherman, President Clinton mentioned how Trigen Energy Corporation was contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. A few days later at the October 6 White House Conference on Climate Change at Georgetown University, Trigen President Tom Casten explained how climate change could be mitigated through unleashing market forces by opening electric markets to retail competition.
The U.S. is expected to announce its position on Climate Change on October 20 in Bonn. IDEA favors binding targets and timetables for greenhouse gas reductions.
Keynote Address on District Cooling at Nordic Energy Symposium Mark Spurr of Resource Efficiency, Inc. presented an invited keynote lecture on "District Cooling and Its Integration with Combined Heat and Power" at the 6th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling Simulation. The meeting, sponsored by the Nordic Energy Research Programme, was held in Reykjavik, Iceland in late August.
Spurr's presentation defined and classified district cooling systems, provided an overview of the worldwide implementation of district cooling and described the variety of approaches being taken using case study examples. In addition, Spurr presented the results of research recently undertaken by Resource Efficiency, Inc. for the International Energy Agency on integrating district cooling with Combined Heat and Power.
Employment Classified
Account Representative Detroit Edison seeks highly motivated sales professionals for the position of Account Representative in the commercial/industrial marketplace. The successful applicants will have a Bachelors Degree in Engineering or Business, with a focus in Marketing and/or Sales, or equivalent skills as demonstrated by a successful track record of seven plus years providing service or selling products and services to business customers.
The individual will have exceptional leadership, problem solving and sales skills, as demonstrated by the following:
- Solving complex, customer related business and/or technical issues-preferably mechanical in nature
- Calling at multiple levels of management
- Leading major team efforts that result in closing/winning successful multi-million dollar proposals
- Must have a basic understanding of how mechanical systems operate (e.g., boilers)
A competitive salary and an excellent benefit package is offered. Interested candidates should submit a detailed resume to:
Recruiting & Staffing - 970000303C
Box 33065
Detroit, MI 48232-5065We now scan all resumes. Please submit a 1-3 page resume as follows: Black ink, 12 or 14 point font, white paper, no bullets, underlining, bolding, dashes or hyphens.
An equal opportunity - affirmative action employer
Climate Workshop The U.S. Global Change Research Program is hosting a National Workshop on Climate Change Impacts in Washington D.C. on November 10-12 "to improve understanding of the national-scale consequences of global change...and continue planning for a national science assessment." Find further details at: www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/ipccrev7.html
Montreal Delegates Defeat European Union Proposal Owners of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment received assurances that there will be no changes in the timetable to phase out production of HCFCs which are used widely in the United States and abroad as refrigerants and as alternatives to ozone-depleting CFCs.
Delegates to the 10th anniversary meeting of the parties to the Montreal Protocol rejected a proposal from the European Union to ban all HCFC production in 2010 instead of 2030 as agreed upon in amendments to the Montreal Protocol. The United States strongly opposed the proposal, saying it would increase uncertainty and result in continued use of CFCs.
Manufacturers in recent years produced non-CFC refrigeration and comfort cooling equipment in record number. But much CFC equipment remains in service. In addition to millions of autos and commercial refrigeration compressors that depend on CFCs, it is estimated by ARI that 53% of America's CFC chillers will still be cooling buildings on January 1, 2000, four years after the government banned production of CFCs in the United States.
York and Trigen to Share $150 Million Defense Contract York International Corporation's Viron Energy Services and Trigen Development Corporation were awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that could be worth up to $150 million.
Under the contract, Trigen and Viron have the opportunity to sell energy savings performance contracts to federal agencies in 46 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. The deal excludes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia.
Viron will develop and install lighting retrofits, high efficiency motors, building automation, HVAC and other demand side energy services. Trigen will supply large scale heating and cooling, electricity and other supply side energy services.
Information on District Energy Getting Out to Local Governments
Information on the benefits of district energy is getting out in several ways to local government officials and others focused on community energy issues.
At a recent Cities for Climate Protection (CFCP) workshop, the new IDEA video played continuously at the registration table, and IDEA written information was also available. CCFP was launched by local government leaders from all over the world at a Municipal Leaders Summit on Climate Change in 1993. Over 40 local governments in the U.S. participate by developing and implementing action plans to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
Information on community energy systems will also be a key part of the "Workshop in a Box" being developed by Jack Werner and others for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. This program will provide the tools needed by government and community officials who are working to revitalize core urban areas through sustainable energy systems. IDEA Legislative Director Mark Spurr is providing information on district energy systems which will be incorporated into the information package.
Trigen Awarded $150 Million Utilities Contract in Baltimore Trigen Energy has been selected as utility agent by H&S Properties Development Corporation to provide energy to occupants of the 18-acre site at Inner Harbor East development property in downtown Baltimore.
10,000 tons of cooling and 90 MMBtu per hour of hot water will be available to heat and cool the new, 750 room Wyndham Hotel, a second hotel with 200 rooms, proposed commercial office buildings and an entertainment complex featuring multiplex cinemas and restaurants. Revenue flow will begin as construction heat service begins in the fourth quarter of 1998.
Trigen will design, construct, own and operate a new central energy plant to provide heating and cooling to the Inner Harbor East space. The value of the services is estimated at $150 million over 20 years.
IDEA Receives Finnish Report IDEA has received a copy of the Finnish District Heating Association's 1996 statistics report.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this, please contact IDEA at (202) 429-5111.
Commonwealth Energy System, Harvard University Discuss Purchase of Total Energy Plant Commonwealth Energy System's subsidiary Advanced Energy Systems, Inc. and Harvard University joined today to announce that they are in discussions regarding the purchase of Harvard's subsidiary Medical Area Total Energy Plant, Inc. (MATEP).
MATEP, Inc., a cogeneration facility in Boston's Longwood Medical Area, was built in 1980 to provide heating, cooling, and electricity to three of Harvard's professional schools and to six affiliated teaching hospitals.
Leonard Devanna, President of Advanced Energy Systems, Inc., the COM energy subsidiary that is spearheading discussions with Harvard said, "this acquisition would offer Advanced Energy the opportunity to provide reliable service to MATEP customers while developing additional economic and environmental benefits through long-term investments in heating, cooling, and electricity related technologies."
Test Project Will Allow for Safe Burning of Ohio High-Sulfur Coal A $4.5 million grant from the Ohio Coal Development Office is helping fund a new project at IDEA member Ohio University's Lausche heating plant aimed at reducing the plant's sulfur dioxide emissions by 85 percent and decreasing the university's energy expenses by almost $700,000 annually. Officials say the project could be a model for similar heating plants in Ohio and around the world.
Using a technology designed by researchers at Sorbent Technologies Corp. in Twinsburg, the university's partner in this project, engineers will retrofit the heating plant with a system that will use a sorbent made of natural materials to absorb and neutralize sulfur dioxide in the flue gas stream produced during the burning of Ohio high-sulfur coal, said Sherwood Wilson, director of facilities management at Ohio University.
"This grant, which is a result of the foresight of our engineers in facilities management, will allow us to keep our business at home," Wilson said. "We will burn Ohio coal, which is good for the state and the Southeastern Ohio economy and we will exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed clean air standards for the year 2000."
National Awards Program Soliciting Entries The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has enlisted the support of Renew America to coordinate the National Awards Program for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Through these awards, DOE recognizes individuals, organizations, companies and government agencies that have implemented energy-related measures that benefit the nation's environment, economy and security. We invite you to nominate programs that you feel are deserving of national recognition.
Applications may be submitted by any individual or organization that has implemented outstanding energy efficiency or renewable energy technology measures since January 1, 1993. Projects must have been operational for at least one year to allow for documentation of the projected energy savings or the program results. The application deadline is December 1, 1997.
Awards will be presented at a special ceremony held in Washington D.C. during April 1998. One Best in Category and up to eight Special Recognition awards will be presented in each of six categories: Building Technologies, Industrial Technologies, Federal Energy Activities, Transportation Technologies, Utility Technologies and Energy Technology and Education.
If you would like to be nominated, contact Marie Williams at IDEA at (202) 429-5111 or by E-mail at marie_williams@dc.sba.com, and she will ask DOE to send you an application.
Underground Storage Tanks Requirements EPA has asked us to remind members who may have Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) that:
- USTs installed after December 1988 need to meet standards for spill, overfill, and corrosion protection when they are installed; and
- USTs installed before December 1988 must meet standards for spill, overfill, and corrosion protection by December 1998. If not, these USTs must be replaced or closed properly.
In addition, all federally regulated USTs need to comply with requirements for notification, release detection, corrective action, closure, and record keeping that are in effect now.
Your USTs do not need to meet the federal requirements if they are: USTs storing heating oil used on the premises where it is stored; USTs on or above the floor of underground areas, such as basements or tunnels; and tanks of 110 gallons or less capacity. Also, airports using hydrant fueling systems need to comply only with federal corrective action requirements. USTs used for emergency generators do not need to comply with release detection requirements, but they do need to comply with all other federal UST requirements.