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District heating and cooling systems for communities through power plant retrofit and distribution networks. Phase I. Identification and assessment. Final report

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5896547· OSTI ID:5896547
The study assesses the preliminary technical, economic, and institutional feasibility of district heating systems achieved by retrofitting existing utility power plants in three Wisconsin cities: Green Bay, Janesville/Beloit, and Madison. The overall approach consists of surveying the State of Wisconsin to identify all existing intermediate and base-loaded electric-generating facilities. Once identified, screening criteria are developed to narrow the list to the three most promising sites. For each of the three sites, an extensive market analysis is performed to identify and characterize thermal loads and survey potential users on their views and concerns regarding the concept. Parallel to this effort, each of the three sites is evaluated on its technical and institutional merits. The technical evaluation centers on identifying and evaluating utility plant retrofit schemes and distribution system alternatives to service the identified thermal market. The institutional analysis evaluates potential barriers such as environmental, distribution system right-of-way, and legal issues within the infrastructure of the state, city, and community. Finally, all previous aspects of the analysis are combined to determine the economic viability of each site. It is concluded that Green Bay is the most promising site.
Research Organization:
Wisconsin State Energy Office, Madison (USA)
OSTI ID:
5896547
Report Number(s):
COO-4981-1(Vol.1)(Exec.Summ.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English