Potential opportunities for revitalization of the Rochester, New York steam district heating system

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6296579

Gant, R E; Karnitz, M A; Easton, C W; Thiele, C H

The district heating system of Rochester, New York was founded in 1889 and prospered for the first seventy years. The steam system grew in conjunction with the electrical service and became accepted as the preferred service for new buildings in downtown Rochester. In 1963, the system was the fourth largest in the US and had a peak hourly sendout of 390 MW(t). The system served 621 customers and was growing steadily. Since 1963 there has been a loss of about 320 customers and the system's peak sendout has been reduced to 275 MW(t) in 1979. The loss of customers appears to be a combined result of a massive urban renewal program and the high price of steam. The urban renewal program removed many of former steam customers which have not been replaced. The increased cost of steam can be attributed to the increased cost of oil, the system's prime fuel. The system was originally designed, constructed, and operated on coal until the early 1970's. With federal legislation on emission and air quality regulations, Rochester Gas and Electric (RG and E) converted the pulverized coal-fired boilers to oil and natural gas. The system is presently earning a very low rate of return and there is the possibility of abandonment of the business. Three options were proposed to assist in making the system viable in order to serve the city and also to make it an attractive business venture. Two options represent potential short-term solutions: (1) conversion of a coal-fired unit to cogeneration and (2) building a municipal incinerator operated on refuse derived fuel. Both options would lessen the district heating system's dependence upon oil and scarce fuels. The third option is along range strategy to develop hot water heat islands adjacent to the downtown system. The successful development of heat islands would represent the first growth nodes for a major new district heating system in Rochester.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6296579
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-7757; ON: DE81030373
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290800 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Heat Utilization-- (1980-)
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320603* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Public Utilities-- (1980-)
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
CENTRAL HEATING PLANTS
COGENERATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DEMAND FACTORS
DEUS
DISTRICT HEATING
DOCUMENT TYPES
DUAL-PURPOSE POWER PLANTS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY FACILITIES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EVALUATION
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUELS
HEAT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
HEATING
HOT WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INCINERATORS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
OPERATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POPULATION DENSITY
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
REFUSE DERIVED FUELS
RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITIES
REVIEWS
STEAM GENERATION
STEAM SYSTEMS
URBAN AREAS
USA
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES
WATER