District Energy and Decarbonization

With a rapidly changing climate, there is an increasing need to transition to a low carbon society. Across all sectors, existing and new thermal energy systems are being re-imagined to reduce energy use and decarbonized to minimize carbon emissions.Within North America, where District Energy Systems are prevalent in campuses, institutions, and planned communities, there is a huge opportunity to implement low carbon technologies and solutions to heat and cool buildings, while impacting true sustainable change.

Integral Group has been leading the industry with innovative approaches and solutions for thermal energy systems, ones with the flexibility to incorporate a multitude of low carbon energy sources while remaining cost efficient and effective. By integrating innovation and creativity with pragmatism, and still adhering to the fundamental laws of physics, Integral Group developed the “5th Generation” of thermal energy solutions, both at the building scale and at the district scale. These systems provide both heating and cooling, are technically sound, have stellar energy and carbon performances (some achieving Net Zero Carbon). Optimal district energy solutions vary but the traditional approach to district energy typically provides “heating only” service, involving some form of central heating plant—such as a natural gas heat source—and either a steam or high temperature hot water distribution network. This approach no longer meets current trends, needs, or goals for the built environment.

Northern European countries are leaders in the district energy trend, focusing on district heating. Since its initial inception, district heating has evolved into four steps, or “Generations” (as coined by EU’s Strategic Energy Technologies Information System, or SETIS). These Generations are: • 1st Generation District Heating: using steam • 2nd Generation District Heating: using high pressure & high temperature water (> 212°F / 100°C) • 3rd Generation District Heating: using high temperature water (< 212°F / 100C)

• 4th Generation District Heating: using low temperature water (< 140°F / 60°C) In spite of the evident increase in summertime global temperatures and the corresponding increased need for cooling, the focus of the 4th Generation District Heating approach is still—as the name indicates—heating only. As an industry leader, Integral Group takes a very different approach. Our 5th Generation District Heating & Cooling approach is based on real “boots on the ground” experience from our previous projects. These solutions and systems address the current needs for climate adaptation and resilience, maximize energy efficiency with heat recovery, and minimize emissions by electrification. Not only do our solutions address the current climate context, but they also form the basis for the future “6th Generation MultiEnergy” systems, which aim to integrate other forms of energy generation, conversion, storage technologies (such as photovoltaic, microgrid, electrical storage, thermal energy storage, geo-exchange). The approach and methodology Integral Group has developed and used successfully for designing and implementing many of our innovative 5th and 6th Generation District Energy Systems can be applied systematically to any district energy projects, including energy masterplans for a university campus or a lean “spartan” district energy project for a neighborhood-scale development. The only variation in approach is the depth and detail into which each of the steps would be developed, to suit specific project needs.

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Swarthmore College central plant, geoexchange field and campus low-temperature heating water distribution network. © Integral Group