Where are district energy systems located?

In the United States, district energy1 systems are typically located on university or college campuses; on hospital or research campuses; on military bases and airports; and in areas of dense building settings, often in the central business districts of larger municipalities (common applications shown in Figure 2).

What are the benefits of district energy infrastructure?

The energy security and resilience benefits of district energy infrastructure are widely recognized, and district energy systems are often used to support mission-critical operations in hospi-tals, university research centers, military bases, and specialty industries such as food processing and pharmaceuticals.

What fuels are used in a district energy system?

Most district energy systems are currently fossil-fuel-based, with nearly three-fourths of fuel consumption coming from natural gas, as shown in Figure 4.6 Other fuels used in district energy systems include coal, fuel oil, biomass, biogas, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, geothermal, solar thermal, and electricity.

Which cities have a district energy system?

Major U.S. cities with downtown district energy systems include New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis, and dozens more. In some cases, the buildings connected to a district energy system are commonly owned, such as in a university campus or hospital setting.

What are the key components of a des?

The key components of a DES include the site where the DES is located, central plants that generate heating and cooling energy, the end-users that consume the delivered heating and cooling energy, and the distribution network that delivers the heating and cooling mediums from the central plants to the end-users (Talebi et al. 2016).