Innovations in district heating and cooling 1984--1994 and their economic impact

Conference · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:87453

Mornhed, G; Casten, T R ^[1]

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1. Trigen Energy Corp., White Plains, NY (United States)

The period from 1984 to 1994 saw the concept of district heating and cooling revived. Many new district energy systems were established and existing systems expanded. The expansion can be attributed to technical innovations as well as institutional, environmental, and economic changes; no one event can be singled out as a main reason for the improved climate. The district cooling industry in particular, fueled by growing demand and technical innovation, experienced a period of unprecedented expansion. On the surface, the concept of district cooling would appear to be uneconomical. Although economic benefits can be achieved using traditional district cooling technology over individual building systems, the benefits from technical innovations during the last 10 years, such as low-temperature chilled-water storage, trigeneration, variable-speed-drive technology, and automation, have made district cooling more competitive and have contributed to industry growth. On the district heating side, innovations such as low-cost distribution technology and cost-effective cogeneration helped create a renaissance. The improved competitiveness of district heating and cooling has made the combined service attractive for users who now do not need to rely on either in-house heating or cooling plants. Ongoing innovations in the industry set the stage for continued expansion as district heating and cooling--district energy--move into the next century and help improve their urban environment more than ever.

• OSTI ID: 87453
• Report Number(s): CONF-950104--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
CENTRAL HEATING PLANTS
DESIGN
DISTRICT COOLING
DISTRICT HEATING
ECONOMICS