DISTRICT HEATING

Roland Kilpatrick, P.Eng.

Industrial Technology Advisor
Industrial Research Assistance Program
[email protected] (705) 494-4250
 District Heating

• what is District Heating?

• history of District Heating
• examples
• benefits and risks
 What is District
Heating?

• A “public” utility, similar in delivery to:

– electricity
– natural gas
– telephone
– water
– sewage
– cable TV
 What is District
Heating?

• Heat
– delivered as hot water
– supply pipe and return pipe
– heavily insulated
 What is District
Heating?
• Major System Components
– heat source – Boiler
– fuel supply & storage system
– water distribution system: pumps
& insulated pipes
– heat transfer
system – heat
exchangers
– monitoring
& billing system
Other Components
 History of District
Heating

• French village (Chaudes-Aigues Cantal) from

geothermal hot springs, continuously since 1322
• commercial district heating system - Birdsill Holly,
Lockport, New York, 1877 (5-km loop)
• London, Ontario, 1880 - university, hospital,
government complexes
• University of Toronto - 1911
• Winnipeg's commercial core– 1924, 1st Canadian
commercial system
 District Heating in
Canada

Canadian District Energy Association -

http://www.cdea.ca/

Owner/Operators:
• Central Heat Distribution Limited, Vancouver, BC
• Corix Utilities Inc. Surrey, BC
• Dalkia Canada/ CCUM, Montreal, QC
• District Energy Windsor, WUC , Windsor, ON
• ENMAX Corporation, Calgary, ON
 District Heating in
Canada

• Enwave Energy Corporation, Toronto, ON

• Hamilton Community Energy, Hamilton, ON
• London District Energy, Fort Chicago Power Ltd,
London, ON
• Lonsdale Energy Corporation, North Vancouver, BC
• Markham District Energy Inc., Markham, ON
• Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Hay River,
NWT
 District Heating in
Canada

• Oshawa PUC Energy Services Inc., Oshawa, ON

• Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation,
Revelstoke, BC
• Strathcona County, Sherwood Park, AB
• Sudbury District Energy Corporation, Sudbury, ON
• Toromont Energy, Concord, ON

• approx. 150 systems currently in Canada

 Examples

Ystad, Sweden
• population of 17,000
• district heating by Ystad
Energi AB – wholly owned by
Ystad Municipality
• sells heat to 1,200 properties
• sells electricity to more than
13,000 customers
• 30 employees
• 2008: 139,332 MWh heating sold
Ystad Energi AB
Ystad Energi AB
Ystad Energi AB
Ystad Energi AB
Ystad Energi AB
Ystad Energi AB
Quality Hardwoods,
Powassan
 Quality Hardwoods,
Powassan
• founded in 1981 by Paul Brooks, employs 45
• 10 kilns, oil burners, heat output of 1.2 million
BTU/hr (350 kW) each
• burned 1,000 litres of heating oil per day
• 2007 - began considering alternative fuels and
heating systems
• Jan. 2008 - committed to moving forward with forest
biomass energy system
• explored fuel & burner systems: wood chips,
gasification systems, pellets
• individual burners for each kiln vs single large
central boiler system
 Quality Hardwoods,
Powassan

• considerations:
– cost of the alternative fuels & heating systems
– security & source of fuel
– reliability
– maintenance, operational issues, insurance
requirements, environmental aspects, etc
• chose wood pellets
 Quality Hardwoods,
Powassan
• Decker boilers from Manitoba
• pellet fuel storage and handling systems from
Ontario
• insulated hot water distribution pipes from USA
• in-kiln heat exchangers from Italy
• avoid use of approximately 1,000 litres of fuel oil
per day, by burning about 2.2 tonnes of wood
pellets per day
• $1.1 million investment
• estimate savings @ approx. $200,000 per year
 District Heating –
Important
Considerations

• capital cost of system

• fuel cost and availability
• fuel handling
• fuel storage capacity
• backup / supplemental fuel system
• emissions control (if EFW or biomass is used)
 Benefits of District
Heating
USER
• convenience
• space savings
• reduced energy costs
• no more cold showers!
Environment
• reduced CO2 emissions, depending on fuel
Community
• self-sufficiency if local fuel is used
• energy $$ retained in local economy
• jobs created & sustained
 A quick look at
District Heating in
Sweden
Why Sweden?
• no fossil fuel resources
• extensive hydroelectric
• extensive forest resources
• similar climate to Canada’s
• Sweden’s current energy situation is indicative of
our future situation
• extensive experience with district heating
• I have photos and contacts
 Sweden – District
Heating

• 9 million inhabitants
• 50 % of total heat market
• DH exists in every
community with more
than 10,000 inhabitants
• annual revenues exceed
$3 billion
• competing on a non-
regulated heat market
 Energy Sources for
District Heating
Mix of fuels 1981 Mix of fuels 2005
27 TWh Hot w ater 48 TWh
2% Other Oil
Ind. Waste 3% 5% Coal
Natural gas
heat 3% Other 5% 6%
4%
Waste 5% Peat
6%
Coal 3%
Heat pumps
9%

Electricity
1%
Bio fuels
Ind. w aste
37%
heat
10%

Oil 84%
Waste
12% Pine oil RT-flis
1% 4%

The Swedish carbon dioxide discharge is 1/5 lower now than in 1981
 Energy sources for
District Heating
60

50
Misc.
Industrial surplus heat
40 Heat Pumps
Household waste
Coal
30
Wood fuel
Peat

20 Electricity
Natural gas
Oil
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Sandhems School
• 350 kW boiler
(1.1 million BTU/hr)
• 30 m3 silo for wood
pellets
• clean-burning
• 85% + efficiency
350 KW pellet burner
Mullsjö – district heat for 8,000
• 3 MW wood pellet boilers, x 3
(31 million BTU/hr)
• 10 km new buried DH pipes
• 80 m3 silos
 Useful Links

Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation

• http://canmetenergy.nrcan.gc.ca/eng/buildings_commu
nities/communities/publications/revelstoke.html

Canadian District Energy Association

• http://www.cdea.ca/

Rindi Energi AB
• http://www.rindienergi.se/eng/fjarrvarme.php

Canmet ENERGY – community energy system projects

• http://www.sbc.nrcan.gc.ca