District Energy St. PaulSaint Paul, USA

USA_District-Energy-St-Paul_Logo_30years

Integration is the hallmark of District Energy St. Paul’s system. From its inception, District Energy St. Paul envisioned a future that used district heating and cooling infrastructure to integrate a variety of local, renewable energy sources and technologies. District Energy has doubled the amount of buildings served from 1985, yet is producing less carbon thanks to the incorporation of biomass, CHP, and solar. Our customers benefit from a modern, integrated system offering fuel flexibility, advantages for green certifications, and renewable energy and energy conservation technologies.The heating system serves more than 32 million square feet of building space and operates at twice the efficiency of the former steam district heating system while using the same amount of fuel. Our system has achieved notable reductions of greenhouse gas and other criteria pollutants resulting from our drive to maximize renewable fuels, increase fuel flexibility and fully integrate efficiency. The carbon footprint from our high-performance solar thermal installation resulted in carbon emission reductions of approximately 460,000 pounds in 2012.  Our combined heat and power plant has reduced sulfur dioxide and particulate emissions, carbon dioxide emissions, and the use of oil, natural gas and coal. Beginning in 1993, the integration of district cooling significantly reduced the use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants in customer buildings. We are proud that we offer environmental benefits in addition to fuels and technologies providing a platform to achieve rate stability.District Energy has fully integrated our own large-scale solar thermal installation into the district heating system, integrated a customer’s solar thermal installation into the heating system loop, enhanced the data collection and metering components of the system, installed fiber optic lines in much of the distribution system and developed a Delta T program for customers to manage efficiency. Modernization has not been limited to the pursuit of system enhancements and energy efficiency improvements. Communication and community engagement has changed deepen the conversation with customers, community members and stakeholders about global climate change and the ways we can minimize our energy footprint.  Without resting on our laurels, we continue to evaluate opportunities including seasonal storage of hot and chilled water, flue gas capture and reuse, and the integration of energy islands.

 

Thumbnail 6:28

 

 

PPT 130923_1900_Winner_Large_Modernisation_SaintPaul