District Energy - 2012 1st Quarter

Across the Potomac, Arlington Drafts Community Energy Plan

More than a hundred years ago, leaders in the U.S. Congress had the vision to invest in a modern, efficient central energy plant designed to supply the long-term thermal and electrical energy needs of Capitol Hill. Today, a new generation of visionaries in nearby Arlington, Va., is working on its own community energy plan that includes district energy as a key component that will enhance economic competitiveness, provide energy supply security and protect the environment.

The Arlington County Community Energy and Sustainability Task Force Report, accepted by the county board in May 2011, acknowledges the critical energy challenges facing the country in the coming decades. It also suggests that these challenges offer exciting opportunities for Arlington County to become a leader in reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and implementing cleaner, more sustainable energy sources and systems.

Following an extensive review of global best practices, energy modeling data and Arlington-specific information, the task force recommended that Arlington create a transformational community energy plan that calls for a reduction in Arlington’s annual per capita greenhouse gas emissions from the current 13. 4 metric tons to no more than 3.0 metric tons by 2050 (fig. 1). In order to measure progress toward this goal, Arlington established a countywide energy use baseline in 2007.

Among the key report findings was the fact that buildings account for more than three-quarters of Arlington’s total energy consumption, with the remainder used for transportation. Furthermore, half of the building-related energy is consumed in areas with high densities of residential and commercial buildings, many of which are zoned for greater density in anticipation of continued population growth.

Recognizing that these conditions
could be favorable for district energy,
the task force report included the fol-
lowing recommendation: “Beginning in
2015, these areas of high energy density
should migrate to district energy for heat-
ing, cooling and hot water services. The
task force recommends forming a district
energy company to invest in the systems
and manage these energy services.”
The report acknowledges the tremen-
dous efficiencies that result from district
energy and combined heat and power, as
well as the role they could play in reducing
the carbon footprint of Arlington’s build-
ings. The report also sets targets for making
buildings themselves much more efficient.
For example, it suggests that, beginning in
2015, all residential buildings undergoing
major renovation should operate 30 per-
cent more efficiently than the 2007 base-
line average; for renovations of commercial
buildings, the target is 50 percent.

– District Energy

Figure 1. Arlington County Projected Per Capita Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 2007-2050. Implementation of district energy and CHP is one of four key strategies designed to dramatically reduce greenhouse emissions in Arlington County by 2050.