District Energy

Departments

FIRST QUARTER 2011, VOLUME 97, NUMBER 1

3

Chair’s Message David J. Toombs, General Manager, Citizens Thermal

4 President’s Message Robert P. Thornton, President, International District Energy Association

38 Campus Conference Preview

46 Industry News

65 Middle East Industry News

12 Paving the Way: Seattle Steam’s road to renewable energy Stan Gent, President and Chief Executive Officer, Seattle Steam Co.

Seattle Steam is taking advantage of abundant local biomass resources to provide thermal energy for the city’s future. By utilizing waste wood as its primary fuel, the company expects to reduce annual carbon emissions by 60 percent and set an example that it hopes others will follow.

Cover

66 People in the News

69 From a Legal Perspective The ABCs of RECs Alan I. Robbins, Attorney, Jennings Strouss & Salmon PLC

71 LEED® + District Energy What to Do With My CFCs? Tim Griffin, PE, LEED AP, IDEA USGBC Liaison

Features
7 University of Calgary Converts to Cogen:
New system slashes emissions amid building boom
Tom Phelps, PE, P.Eng., Principal, Stantec

A new cogeneration plant is a key component in the University’s ambitious plan to reduce energy use by 30 percent over five years, even as the campus undertakes a $1 billion expansion.

74 Inside Insights

What I Learned on My Trip to Denmark Steve Tredinnick, PE, Vice President of Energy Services, Syska Hennessy Group

19 System Optimization: Is fear holding us back?

Hemant R. Mehta, PE, President and Chief Executive Officer, WM Group Engineers PC District cooling systems can realize significant cost savings without compromising reliability through good detective work, effective system redesign and comprehensive training.

76 Members Speak Out

District Energy – A Solution Looking for a Problem?

David W. Wade, PE, President, RDA Engineering Inc.

79 Energy and Environmental Policy Common Sense Climate Policy Mark Spurr, IDEA Legislative Director

82 Customer Closeup

University of Miami Medical School Goes Green with District Cooling, LEED®

23 Making Efficiency Pay: UT Austin upgrades chiller plant, controls Jim Hanna, Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer, Optimum Energy LLC;

Kevin Kuretich, PE, Associate Director of Plant Operations, The University of Texas at Austin

HVAC optimization software enables plant personnel to continuously measure real-time performance and detect system faults immediately, delivering substantial savings in fuel costs.

83 Meet Our Advertisers

84 Calendar of Events/ Dates to Remember

29 Prioritizing Boiler and Piping Inspections:
Risk-based approach enhances system reliability
Joe Maciejczyk, PE, Associate, Structural Integrity Associates

A risk-based inspection program can enhance safety and reliability while providing knowledge to help system operators make more informed decisions.

ON THE COVER: Conveyors move woody biomass from Seattle Steam’s storage facility to the new biomass boiler that serves its downtown district heating system. Photo credit: Chris Landry Photography

35 2010 International District Cooling Conference:
Supporting greener buildings and a smarter grid

Qatar Cool was the Principal Sponsor and Host for the fifth annual conference focused on designing, building and operating large-scale district cooling systems.