cations (RFQ), which led to the prequalification of five teams to respond to the second
stage of the procurement. The procurement
had several consultative aspects to it, including three pre-proposal conferences and private one-on-one discussions with the Metro
procurement team. Based in part on strategic
information received from the potential bidders, the second step was a formal request
for proposals (RFP), which included specific
It was estimated that building a new district energy
system would save Metro
almost $200 million over
the next 20 years.
technical and financial requirements, model
contract terms, a fixed-cost proposal and
required technical guarantees.
The RFP’s scope of work included the
design and construction of a new energy generation facility at a fixed price; the operation
and maintenance of the entire system for 15
years (with three five-year Metro options to
renew) at a fixed operating price that would
escalate annually by an agreed-upon measure
Metro Nashville District Energy System
Provides steam and chilled water to heat and cool 40
downtown buildings.
Serves almost 9. 8 million sq ft of customer buildings.
Employs 24 people, including 19 former Nashville Thermal
Transfer Corp. employees.
Pumps steam and chilled water from its energy generation
facility to buildings through a four-pipe distribution system
of approximately 21,000 ft of underground pipes, both in
tunnels and direct-buried (see below).
Has pipes ranging in diameter from only a half-inch
(condensate) to 42 inches (chilled water).
Operates nine 2,600-ton chillers and four 65,000 lb/hr boilers,
giving the system a capacity of 23,400 tons of chilled water
and 260,000 lb/hr of steam.
Circulates roughly 2 million gal of chilled water at any given
time; each minute, up to 42,000 gal of chilled water are
pumped through the system.
Distributes steam through the pipes to downtown buildings
at an average rate of 70 mph.
Counts the State of Tennessee as its largest customer, with
the State Capitol and 13 other state buildings on the system.
Has satisfied customers:
“I was very impressed with the seamless transition from
Thermal to DES, and I am continually impressed with its reliability and efficiency.”
– Debra Howell, Regions Bank
“The demands on our heating and cooling systems are very
complex. DES is always dependable and is a crucial element to
keeping our customers and employees comfortable.”
– Jim Greer, Gaylord Entertainment Center, home of NHL’s Predators
