District Energy

I have been asked to speak today on our community energy plan at the Canadian District Energy Association in Calgary.

I am part of a panel discussion on City Building - From Planning to Implementation.

I am specifically addressing the opportunity for district energy to act as a catalyst for investment and smart growth to build sustainable communities.

District energy systems take waste heat from a variety of sources to heat homes and businesses. When combined with systems that generate electricity - cogeneration and combined heat and power - huge benefits can be delivered to the consumer and the environment.

One speaker provided a great illustration. By the time coal-generated electricity gets to our home about 76 percent of the total energy is lost along the way mostly as waste heat. Local district energy systems can reduce those losses to 20 percent or less saving energy resources and reducing green gas emissions.

Our community energy plan depends on approaches like district energy systems, combined heat and power, and cogeneration along with renewable energy, conservation and efficiency to achieve our goals for a sustainable energy future.