Assessment of Community Energy Conservation Opportunities for Urban Development Projects

摘要

The city of Chicago conducted this study to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of district heating and cooling (DHC). A method was developed to determine the feasibility of DHC; it was then applied to ten DHC technologies and twelve sites within Chicago. The study focused on commercial and mixed-use development. The general target area encompassing the twelve sites - the central business district (CBD) and its surrounding communities - was selected due to existing community characteristics which are conducive to DHC. These characteristics include proposed development and renovation of commercial and mixed-use structures, potentially accommodating infrastructure such as freight tunnels and other conveyances for piping systems, large thermal users and potential for additional commercial and mixed-use growth. As a result of the analysis of technologies, eight different DHC technologies were identified as being generally feasible for Chicago. When their characteristics were matched with those of the twelve Chicago locations, five sites were identified as being able to support a total of seven different DHC technologies. Two sites were found to be suitable for district heating and cooling; one was suitable for cogenerated district heating and electricity, using steam; one site was suitable for district heating, district heating and cooling, and cogenerated district heating, cooling and electricity and one was suitable for district heating, district heating and cooling as well as cogenerated district heating, cooling and electricity. DHC appears to have major potential in Chicago. Based on present and planned development alone, this study found several sites in the target area where significant energy savings could be achieved through the application of DHC technologies. There is reason, moreover, to believe that the study underestimates the potential for these energy-saving technologies. 29 references, 6 figures, 18 tables. (ERA citation 10:016497)