The Official Newsletter of International District Energy Association Volume 15 Number 1 August 1999

America's Cool Transformation Featured in Nation's Capital

The first major exhibition to explore the impact of air conditioning opened May 1 and continues through January 2, at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Titled "Stay Cool! Air Conditioning America," the exhibition shows how air conditioning transformed architecture and improved the way Americans live, work and play.

Jointly sponsored by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the exhibit contrasts "hot America" before air conditioning when productivity declined and cities emptied in summers with today's high-tech world in which air conditioning is essential for computers, manufacturers' "clean rooms," comfort cooling in shopping malls and glass curtain wall skyscrapers.

Designed for the general public, visitors follow an over-sized sheet metal duct to view a parade of products made possible by air conditioning as they travel through the 3,000-square-foot exhibit. "Cool Essentials" towers explain in videos the technology of cooling with three separate galleries offering a view of air conditioning as it progressed from printing plants and movie palaces of the early 20th Century to Sunbelt tract homes, amusement theme parks and energy efficient comfort cooling for the 2000s. IDEA Members Unicom Thermal Technologies and Baltimore Aircoil Company are just two of the companies showcased in this exhibit.

Visitors can view a unique thermometer tracking North-South demographics by decades as air conditioners literally circulated people and air. It vividly shows how the spread of comfort cooling forty years ago reversed a century-long out-migration from the South as people discovered comfortable, year-round living -- even in semi-tropical heat.

The National Building Museum, a non-profit institution, is located at 401 F Street, NW in Washington, DC at the entrance to the Judiciary Square Metro station on the Red Line. The Museum's hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. For more information call 1-202-272-2448.

Fifty-Year Energy Review

The 1998 edition of the "Annual Energy Review" from the Energy Information Administration chronicles changes in U.S. energy use since 1949. It notes that per-capita energy use increased by 62% over the past half-century while the amount of energy required to produce a dollar's worth of goods and services fell by 42%. The U.S. petroleum industry evolved from one of near self-sufficiency to one now dependent on 10 million barrels/day of import; U.S. oil production peaked at 11 million barrels/day in 1970 but has dropped to 8 million barrels/day in 1998. Petroleum domination of the transportation sector rose from 77% of all resources used in the sector in 1949 to 97% in 1998. Nuclear power, which did not exist until 1957, reached a peak of 112 operable reactors in 1990 but has fallen to 104 in 1998. The report can be found at http:// www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/

Cool Under Pressure:

Conectiv Thermal Systems Enacts Emergency Plan During Atlantic City's Water Crisis

It's hard to imagine a city without water, but shortly after 10 a.m. on May 18, Conectiv Thermal Systems was faced with that dilemma. They received notice from the Atlantic County Municipal Utilities Authority (ACMUA) that there was a problem with one of the two water mains that services Atlantic City. To make matters worse, it was going to be isolated to repair a leaky valve.

For Conectiv Thermal Systems, a loss of water is a serious problem. The Midtown Energy Center, located at the corner of Atlantic and Ohio Avenues, primarily delivers chilled water and steam to customers for cooling, heating and domestic hot water. To continue providing this service, the cooling and steam process, requires a continual supply of water. "This was our worst case scenario," says Frank DiCola, vice president and general manger for Conectiv's Thermal Group. "This was the first time we had experienced a loss of water.

DiCola says, the underground network includes six miles of piping and fiber optics that provides distribution to customers from Kentucky Avenue to Florida Avenue, and Arctic to the Boardwalk. Currently, the center services Trump Plaza, Caesars, Trump Plaza Ocean View Tower, Trump World's Fair, Warner Brothers Studio Store, Claridge, Bally's Park Place and the Wild Wild West. Additionally, there are plants at Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Marina.

As soon as DiCola and his staff learned about the water shortage, their emergency plan went into action. "The ACMUA anticipated that the isolation would reduce water pressure throughout the city, but especially east of Missouri Avenue where are plant and two remote sites are located," DiCola says. "Citizens and businesses in the city were instructed to conserve water and we were informed that there was a possibility for complete loss of city water pressure to our building. We had approximately 12 hours to get our emergency plan rolling."

While executing the emergency plan, Operations and Maintenance Management told plant operating engineers to expect long hours and rapidly changing directives. The plant's operating engineers began supplying water from an external hose. They assembled hoses and fittings necessary to get the water from the tanks into the plant water system. Similar preparations were arranged for remote production sites at Trump Marina and Trump Taj Mahal.

"The repair was originally estimated to take 18 hours, but lasted well into Thursday," DiCola recalls. "For two days, CTS staff remained alert and ready to mitigate the loss of city water supply. It also maintained uninterrupted service to our customers in the Midtown, Uptown and Marina Districts of Atlantic City."

DiCola says throughout the emergency, the casinos never missed a beat.
"If we had to shut down the plants, the casinos would have been without heat
or cooling systems," he says.

New USGCRP Newsletter

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is now publishing "Acclimations," a bimonthly newsletter describing the progress on the National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change.

A wide range of regional and sectoral studies are underway involving research teams and stakeholder groups around the country, as described on the National Assessment Synthesis Team are expected to be published beginning late this year, which will be in time to serve as input for the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The newsletter has been published electronically since last fall and is now also available free by contacting the Global Change Research Information Office and using their online document request form. You also may contact the office by e-mail: help@gcrio.org, phone: 914-365-8930, or fax: 914-365-8922.

To visit the National Assessment web site, go to <www.nacc.usgcrp.gov>.

Don't GAMBLE with your company's future!!!

Attend the 1999 IDEA Cooling Conference
October 6-8, 1999
Sheraton Atlantic City Hotel
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Watch your mail for the preliminary program and registration brochure!

Calendar
of Events

2nd Annual Earth Technologies Forum
September 27-29, 1999
Hyatt Regency, Washington, DC
Contact: Dave Stirpe,
703-243-0344

14th Annual IDEA Cooling Conference
October 6-8, 1999
Sheraton Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Contact: IDEA, 202-429-5111

6th COGEN Europe Annual Conference and Exhibition
October 14-15, 1999
Europa Intercontinental Hotel, Brussels
Contact: COGEN Europe, +32 2 772 50 44 (fax)

11th Annual IDEA
Distribution Workshop
November 3-5, 1999
Kansas City Club
Kansas City, Kansas
Contact: IDEA, 202-429-5111

European District Heating & Cooling Week
November 9-12, 1999
Finlandia House, Helsinski
Contact: EuroHeat & Power, unichal, +32 2 779 9279

13th Annual IDEA College/ University Conference
February 23-25, 2000
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Contact: IDEA, 202-429-5111

91st Annual IDEA
Conference & Trade Show
June 17-20, 2000
Montreal Bonaventure Hilton Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Contact: IDEA, 202-429-5111

A Cool Idea May Lower Downtown
Honolulu Office Energy Bills

Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (HECO) intends to cool off
electricity bills for downtown Honolulu buildings with a roughly $30 million district cooling system. The utility has worked with the technology for years, hoping to convert large air-conditioning
customers to ice storage, and thus reduce electricity generation costs. (About 33 percent of HECO's peak electricity demand is for air conditioning.)

In 1996, HECO projected large-scale district cooling could save $8 million to $16 million through 2006. More recent savings estimates were not available. Last August, Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., HECO's parent company, formed HEI District Cooling Inc. to implement thermal energy storage downtown.

Scott Shirai, HEI District Cooling community relations director, says the company will begin service by the end of this year or the first quarter of next year. That timetable could be affected by city permitting for pipe installation work, which the company is discussing with businesses, residents and city officials to minimize disruption.

The service will be unregulated, with HEI District Cooling negotiating different user rates based on building size and location, air-conditioning use and other factors.

Senior Flexonics Acquires Pathway
Bellows Operation

Senior Flexonics announces the acquisition of Pathway Bellows, Inc., a subsidiary of Dover Corporation. The combined company, to be known as Senior Flexonics - Pathway Division, will be the leading global manufacturer of metal, fabric and composite expansion joints, according to Bill Kowal, Chief Operating Officer of Senior Flexonics, Worldwide.

"The addition of Pathway significantly enhances the engineering resources and technical support we can provide to customers," Kowal pointed out. "The acquisition also means we can offer the most comprehensive expansion joint product line in the industry; and with our extensive product engineering capabilities, we can continue to lead the industry in product innovation."

A commitment to customer service is the force that drew these industry leaders together. The company will have the ability to manufacture one-piece expansion joints ranging from 1/4 inch up to 33 feet in diameter, designed to withstand temperatures up to 2000 degrees (F) and pressures greater than 4,000 psig. Senior Flexonics - Pathway Division serves a wide range of Industrial Industries including petroleum refining, nuclear and fossil fuel power generation, chemical processing, pulp and paper processing and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC).

With expanded engineering capabilities, Senior Flexonics Pathway Division offers extensive product design and testing capabilities, a network of factory-trained field service technicians and a wide range of industrial contracting and other value-added services aimed at expansion joint customers, Kowal noted.

We hope you will join us in welcoming the following new
members of IDEA!

Rich Kooy
Business Development Manager
Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.
601 W. 143rd Street
Plainfield, IL 60544
(815) 439-3100
(815) 439-3130 fax
E-mail: richkooy@chicagobridge.com
URL: www.chicago-bridge.com

Joe Lutz
Business Development Manager
Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.
601 W. 143rd Street
Plainfield, IL 60544
(909) 860-7114
(909) 860-7128 fax
E-mail: jlutz@chicagobridge.com
URL: www.chicago-bridge.com

T. Tyler Merica
Sales Engineer
Harvey's Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
742 Painted Hills Road
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 587-4669
(406) 582-4422 fax
E-mail: plumbob@imt.net

Robert Harvey
President
Harvey's Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
742 Painted Hills Road
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 587-4669
(406) 582-4422 fax

Jonathan A. Lanciani
Corporate Sales Development Manager
ChemTreat, Inc.
PO Box 27207
Richmond, VA 23261
(860) 657-4617
(860) 657-4618 fax
E-mail: jonathanl@chemtreat.com

Christopher Brooks
Corporate Engineer
R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, Inc.
274 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 423-7433 x514
(617) 292-7615 fax
E-mail: cbrooks@facserv.vanderweil.com
Referred by: Steve Bosland, Garen Demirchian, R.G. Vanderweil Engineers

H. Joseph Cranston
V.P. - Project Management and Engineering
Constellation Energy Source, Inc.
111 Market Place, Suite 530
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 468-3890
(410) 468-3819 fax
E-mail: joseph.cranston@cesource.com
URL: www.cesource.com

Scott A. McWilliams
V.P. - Marketing & Energy Sales
Constellation Energy Source, Inc.
111 Market Place, Suite 530
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 468-3770
(410) 468-3779 fax
E-mail: scott.mcwilliams@cesource.com
URL: www.cesource.com

John A. (Jack) Cahill
Cahill Consulting
22 Rancho Navato
Pomona, CA 91766
(909) 865-1377
(909) 469-1068 fax
E-mail: ol1putt@earthlink.net
Referred by: Steve Mueller, San Diego Power
& Cooling

Kristina Brandt
Plant Manager
University of Colorado - Boulder
Campus Box 53 STD 255
Boulder, CO 80309
(303) 492-8443
(303) 492-6856 fax
E-mail: brandtk@colorado.edu
Referred by: Richard Monson, Tom Cowing, University of Colorado - Boulder

Trigen Commissions St. Louis Combined Heat & Power Plant

Trigen Energy Corporation dedicated its newest combined heat and power (CHP) facility in downtown St. Louis on July 20. The facility will provide clean, efficient and cost effective energy for 128 industrial, government and commercial buildings in the business district.

Representatives from the White House, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon gathered at the historic Ashley Place site to celebrate the startup of the $13.5 million, state-of-the-art plant that will operate at over twice the efficiency of the average U.S. power plant. Originally constructed by Union Electric Power & Light to provide electricity for the 1904 World's Fair, Trigen's Ashley plant has long supplied steam to downtown buildings through a 22-mile network of underground pipes.

In addition to increasing capacity and enhancing reliability for its steam customers, Trigen will sell electricity to the wholesale power market. Electricity deregulation has not been enacted in Missouri and customers cannot yet choose Trigen as their electricity provider. Once the electricity marketplace becomes deregulated, the new CHP plant will enable Trigen to offer customers additional energy services, including electricity supply, energy management, etc. Trigen's energy supply infrastructure will encourage and retain commercial investment in St. Louis.

International News...

Canadian Commercial Real Estate Industry Charges Ahead

Canada's commercial real estate market is roaring toward the next millennium, with a 20.7% increase in the industry's overall net operating income (NOI) -- thanks largely to improving office market conditions in most of the country's urban centers. The 1999 Experience Exchange Report, published by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and released at the association's Annual Convention in June, is a treasure trove of good news for Canadian building owners and managers; the publication also showed that over the last two years, the NOIs for office buildings located in downtown markets have increased by an astounding 40.4%.

The suburban office market, the darling of Canada's real estate industry for the past few years, unfortunately suffered in the face of downtown's boom this year, with overall reductions in NOI by as much as 24%. Following last year's record-breaking jump in NOI of 19%, however, the suburbs are by no means suffering.

People

in the

News

IDEA Board Member, P. John Ostman has accepted a position with Turbocorporation as Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. Turbocorp is a new enterprise based in Montreal whose business is the development, manufacturing and commercialization of advanced turbomachinery technologies for energy markets and the environment.

Oops!!!

In the July issue of District Energy Now, we inadvertently left off Consolidated Edison as a sponsor of the 90th Annual Conference & Trade Show. Con Ed sponsored the vinyl bags that were handed out to each attendee. We appreciate their generous sponsorship and apologize for the oversight.

Council Releases Report

The President's Council on Sustainable Development recently released its third and final report, Towards a Sustainable America: Advancing Prosperity, Opportunity, and a Healthy Environment for the 21st Century. The report highlights 140 ways to improve our economy, protect our environment and improve our quality of life. Many of these actions address important issues including sprawl, climate change, urban renewal, rural development and corporate environmental responsibility. One of the Council's key findings on climate change urged our incentive-based programs to catalyze voluntary early action to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. In the
electric power section of the report, the Council recommended replacing or converting carbon-intensive-generating technologies with low-carbon, carbon-free, or high-efficiency technologies.

The Council, a presidentially-appointed panel of leaders from business, government, non-profit, native American and community organizations, was formed to advise the White House on ways to integrate economic goals with environmental and social goals. The Council has worked collaboratively for six years, and held more than 40 public meetings and workshops in communities around the country. The Council's report, as well as its other publications, can be found on the Internet at <www.white house.gov/PCSD>.

Nalco ULTIMER® Technology Receives Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award

Nalco Chemical Company was recognized as a technical innovator in the area of green chemistry by receiving the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for its ULTIMER Technology on June 28. The United States Environmental Protection Agency presented this award to Stephen D. Newlin, President of Nalco Chemical Company, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC.

Nalco's ULTIMER product is a liquid form of dispersion polymer that removes suspended solids, organic matter and other materials from water prior to use in industrial processes. The ULTIMER polymer is also used as a process aid and in wastewater treatment. The ULTIMER polymer is water-based and contains no hydrocarbon oils or surfactants, which means reduced air emissions, toxicity, flammability and transportation hazards.

President Clinton announced the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge on March 16, 1995. The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge recognizes and promotes the research, development and implementation of innovative green chemical technologies that prevent pollution and that have broad industrial applications. This program defines green chemistry as the use of chemistry for source reduction, the highest tier of the risk management hierarchy as described in the Pollution Act of 1990. Green chemistry involves a reduction in, or elimination of, the use of generation of hazardous substances -- including feedstocks, reagents, solvents, products and byproducts -- from a chemical process.

Nalco was also recognized by the State of Illinois for its pollution prevention efforts at the 12th Annual Governor's Pollution Prevention Award ceremony on December 7, 1998, for the development of its ULTIMER technology. The 23 companies and organizations receiving these awards reported a combined annual savings of more than $6.76 million in material and
disposal costs while eliminating more than 141,000 tons of hazardous,
toxic and landfill waste.

District Energy Now is a monthly publication of the International
District Energy Association

Marie Williams, Editor
Barbara Erickson, Graphic Designer

All copy and correspondence should be sent to: 1200 19th Street, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036-2422
(202) 429-5111 phone (202) 429-5113 fax e-mail: idea@dc.sba.com http://www.districtenergy.org

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