What is District Energy
District energy systems are a way of sharing energy efficiently across a community. A central energy plant produces heating, cooling and domestic hot water that is distributed to each building.
Since the process is centralized, district energy is a more energy-efficient way of providing these services to customers of all kinds: residential, commercial, hotel and retail.
It also provides an opportunity to share heating and cooling. For example, offices have a higher cooling requirement and the waste heat from office space can be used to pre-heat domestic hot water, thereby reducing the requirement for electricity and fossil fuels to heat the water.
How does District Energy work?
Step 1: Central Plant
Our district energy systems create heating and cooling energy at a central plant. The District Heating/Cooling (DHC) plant contains chillers, boilers, and heat pumps for energy sharing and generation.
Step 2: Distribution Network
The distribution network carries heating and cooling energy to the users, while the heat exchanger transfers this energy to the building systems.
Step 3: Shared Heating & Cooling
The heat is transferred to water and distributed via piping to building systems where it is used for space and water heating and cooling.
Step 4: Closed Loop System
The water is then returned to the source to be reheated or cooled and recirculated.
What does this mean for our Customers?
Energy is delivered ready-to-use at the site, eliminating strata costs to operate and maintain individual equipment. Further, district energy systems can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be powered by many types of energy sources, which means that they are able to take advantage of new energy technologies as they emerge.
Is District Energy New?
District energy is not a new concept – shared heating systems originated in ancient Rome and in North America as early as the 1880s, when electric utilities were formed to serve major U.S. cities, like New York and Chicago. District Energy is also very common in Europe.
Is District Energy Regulated?
Capilano Energy is designing, constructing, owning, and operating district energy systems with oversight by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC). The BCUC regulates all energy utilities in BC and approves rate structures and customer billing models to ensure transparency.
Learn more about the BCUC.
Capilano Energy
Communities Incorporating
Energy Sharing
Onni SLU
(Seattle, WA)
Annual GHG Reductions:
420 Tonnes
That's 95 cars from the road!
Cambie Gardens
(Vancouver, BC)
Annual GHG Reductions:
784 Tonnes (per tower)
That's 171 vehicles driven in a year!
Gilmore Place
(Burnaby, BC)
Annual GHG Reductions:
2500 Tonnes (per tower)
That's 468 homes energy use for the year!
Onni Bellevue
(Bellevue, WA)
Halsted Point
(Chicago, IL)
Block V
(Seattle, WA)
Impressions
(Burnaby, BC)