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How district energy is supporting the transition from empty offices to thriving laboratories

Posted on July 19, 2021June 25, 2024 by Sara DeMille

Office space may be cooling down, but lab space is heating up

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a seismic impact on professional office work environments. Before the pandemic, most workplaces were strictly in-office, but now, the majority have shifted to work from home or a hybrid formula. This transition seems to be sticking, which means many office buildings in urban centers are now standing empty.

One type of work that cannot shift to a ‘work from home’ or hybrid model is laboratory research. Lab technicians require specific equipment and ideal environments that are only available in a physical lab. While the demand for office space has plummeted, the need for lab space is higher than ever. As a result, building owners and developers are converting empty offices into labs at an accelerating rate.

Lab space conversions are increasingly popular in areas experiencing notable life science booms, like Boston, Cambridge, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Diego. From 2009 to the end of 2019, the amount of lab space in the U.S. grew from 17 million to 29 million square feet. Even smaller cities like New Haven are “desperate” for more lab space because of a huge influx of life science enterprises on the scene. Boston is expected to complete construction for 2 to 3 million sq. ft. of new lab space by 2024. Lab space vacancy in Boston is currently at a mere 4.5%, versus overall office space vacancy, which is as high as 23%. Rents for lab space in the Boston area price at over $100 per sq. ft., making conversions extremely profitable. Furthermore, lab leases are generally 10 to 15 years long, giving landlords assurance that the conversion investments are worth it.

Lab space has several unique requirements for building owners to consider

Labs require a whole host of structural and service considerations. Efficient, effective laboratories require appropriate ceiling heights for duct work and equipment, enhanced airflow for the safety of technicians, and viable interior wall and ceiling space for increased mechanical and utility requirements. Developers must also keep in mind that different building codes and zoning requirements may apply, as compared to general office space.   Perhaps most importantly, labs require high-quality and high-volume reliable 24/7 energy to provide power, cooling, heating, humidification and sterilization to ensure uninterrupted research, sanitized laboratory equipment and tools, and preservation of delicate procedures.

Evaluating your energy options

District energy

District energy is a great option to meet the unique requirements of lab space. Life science companies need huge volumes of high-quality, reliable thermal energy to support their critical operations, including specific ventilation, space temperature, humidity requirements, and the sterilization of laboratory tools and equipment. District steam energy has many advantages:
Without the burden of onsite combustion or maintaining chillers or boilers, district energy is a safer option than onsite infrastructure and also requires way less maintenance expense.

For sterilization and humidification, the CDC recommends steam sanitation over conventional sanitation methods.
District energy is more resilient and reliable even in the face of climate events.
District energy allows upper limits of heating to be adjusted, necessary for the specific conditions labs require.
A building can connect just a few floors to district energy if they only want to convert some floors to lab space.
District energy is a greener option and in cities where life sciences are booming, these same cities often have aggressive carbon emissions savings targets.
This energy solution also frees up valuable floor space, which allows life science companies to focus and leverage valuable square feet for their core operations.

Microgrids and distributed generation

A microgrid is an energy grid that typically provides power and thermal energy to a campus or group of buildings in close proximity to each other. In some cases, it makes sense for a research campus to develop an onsite independent energy solution to meet their critical energy needs. Microgrids can even store energy and use renewables. An independent energy developer with finance, engineering and construction management expertise can develop a custom distributed energy solution, from planning to implementation.

Alternatively, microgrids can also be integrated into district systems to provide even more energy resilience and reliability. Labs have extremely high thermal energy and power needs, making a microgrid solution (which provides both) a feasible and practical solution. Vicinity has developed and operates microgrids for multiple clients – including for a global biotechnology company.

Onsite boilers/chillers

Pairing onsite boilers and chillers for thermal energy and engaging a traditional power utility for electricity is often the first option that occurs to many commercial companies and building owners. However, most underestimate the cost and maintenance that goes along with such a decision or the risks to reliability. Onsite chillers and boilers require substantial upfront capital and ongoing maintenance costs. They take up valuable space in the building that easily could be used for core operations instead. Buildings with boilers also run the risk of insufficient steam pressure and poor steam quality. Labs require constant airflow in order to maintain a sterile environment – they need approximately five times more air changes than typical office buildings, which is why they tend to put more strain on the HVAC equipment to heat and cool all the fresh air being brought in. More air changes and ventilation requirements puts enormous pressure on boilers, especially in the winter, as it decreases the life of boilers, increases fuel costs, and means more repairs and maintenance. Not only does district energy or high-pressure steam from a microgrid provide humidification control, hot water, and heat, but it also allows for the sterilization of equipment. More sustainable energy solutions, like district energy and microgrids, often cost less from a lifecycle perspective and are more valuable in the long run.

Looking ahead

As office spaces turn into labs, an important component that life science companies must keep in mind are the carbon goals of the cities they operate in. Many cities have aggressive carbon reduction goals which must be taken into account when planning new commercial and industrial spaces.

Furthermore, many life sciences companies have goals for greening their own operations, sometimes above and beyond city and/or state guidelines. To attract life science companies and stay current with environmental policies, buildings must not only provide a reliable and cost-effective energy solution, but also one that can adapt to changing, and increasingly more stringent, sustainability requirements. This is a tricky matter when it comes to onsite energy generation, as any equipment would likely have to be expensively retrofitted in the future to meet greening initiatives. District energy, on the other hand, can rapidly green its operations with updates to its central plants, with all customers connected to the district system subsequently receiving cleaner energy. Incorporating district energy into any laboratory or office to lab conversion plan ensures not only that new life science tenants will have the HVAC, environmental and space conditions and capacities they need, but also that the building will continue to get greener over time – keeping up with corporate and government sustainability objectives well into the future.

How the energy industry is forging the path to net zero

Posted on March 10, 2021July 23, 2024 by Sara DeMille

In 2018, 33.1 gigatons of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) were emitted globally, underscoring the need for immediate action to reduce this staggering number. Put another way, that’s 33.1 billion metric tons, a collective mass equal to 66 times that of all humans on earth.

As greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, energy utilities have sought to reduce the amount of CO₂ that is released into the atmosphere, as a result of burning traditional fossil fuels.

To combat the rising CO₂ levels, many utilities have committed to reach net-zero carbon emissions by either 2030 or 2050. For some, switching to fuel alternatives with lower emissions, such as natural gas, is an interim step to get there, while others look to renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. While there are many possible paths to reach net zero, one thing is clear: time is of the essence.

But what exactly does net zero carbon emissions mean, and which method of energy production will yield the greatest environmental benefits? Let’s take a closer look.

What is net zero?

The term “net” zero does not mean there are no carbon emissions emitted. At the moment, all fuel-burning energy generation methods emit some carbon. However, after these emissions have been reduced as much as possible, companies can offset the remaining emissions by investing in assets that absorb carbon, such as forests, carbon capture, or other emerging technologies. Those assets effectively cancel out the carbon emissions being produced, resulting in net zero carbon.

Harnessing the power of renewables

Recognizing this need for change, energy utilities have sought alternatives to traditional generation sources to enable continued provision of their essential services. Unlike fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, renewable energy resources are neither extractive, nor reliant on a single resource that depletes over time. Wind, solar, and biofuels are all renewable resources that utilities are investing in to reduce their carbon footprint.

One method for reducing CO₂ emissions that can already be utilized is combined heat and power (CHP). Unlike traditional power plants that take excess heat produced during power generation and discard it, CHP efficiently harnesses that excess heat as thermal energy that can be used to keep buildings warm or cool, humidify the air or sterilize equipment. By taking advantage of this resource, utilities can conserve fuel, rather than burn more to produce heat, effectively cutting CO₂production dramatically.

Perhaps what is most exciting about this energy source is that CHP generators can also burn biofuels, such as waste vegetable oil from restaurants or organic matter. By fueling CHP with biofuels, the total amount of carbon emissions produced during energy generation can be additionally decreased.

No matter the method, utilities that choose to utilize the energy potential of renewable resources will see a reduction in carbon emissions. When renewables are combined with generation methods such as CHP systems integrated with biofuels, even greater benefits can be achieved.

The road to net zero

A broad swath of energy generators are shifting to renewables to replace natural gas, especially utilities. Challenges remain, however, especially when it comes to transforming the entire grid to be more environmentally beneficial.

While wind and solar are good renewable resources, they are reliant on ideal weather conditions to produce at maximum efficiency. When there is no wind or sunlight, utilities must turn to other energy sources, such as natural gas, to continue supplying power to the facilities they serve. Although a cleaner resource than burning coal, natural gas does emit CO₂ and still contributes to greenhouse gas buildup. Regardless of weather conditions, customers must continue to receive services, and falling back on traditional fuel sources that will produce emissions while providing necessary services is a challenge to decarbonization efforts.

Another obstacle that utilities face is upgrading existing infrastructure. For many utilities, their incumbent grid technology is outdated and ill equipped to accommodate alternative fuel sources that previously were not used or available during the original infrastructure’s development. Because of this, utilities are tasked with not only transitioning to renewables, but also updating systems that have known no other fuel source and were designed for a one-way distribution path. Utilities also have to take into consideration that the majority of U.S. communities leverage onsite boilers for residences and buildings, which means every end user will need to have their infrastructure updated to convert to greener fuels and generation methods as well. The hurdle is a high one – accompanied by a price tag that utilities will have to take into account.

Other facilities have turned to natural gas as a bridge fuel as they shift away from fossil fuels to greener solutions. Though as previously mentioned, natural gas is not carbon-free, although it has a lower carbon footprint than coal or fuel oil. Additionally, those who employ natural gas as a main energy resource may consider transitioning completely away from it to be a daunting challenge. Similar to electric utilities, these organizations will need to seek alternative fuel sources, while also upgrading existing infrastructure, in order to reach net zero.

In contrast, district energy companies can more quickly transition to renewable fuels and technologies through upgrades at their central plants. Unlike other conventional utilities, upgrades to the distribution system are not required. The improvements made at these central plants, whether this is integrating renewable fuels or converting boilers to renewable electricity, will then benefit all the buildings connected to the district system, dramatically reducing carbon emissions. By nature, district energy is typically found in urban environments, which eliminates the need to transport energy over long distances to customers. It is highly reliable, cost-effective and cuts the amount of fuel that is required by individual buildings using onsite generation. Utilizing renewable resources, energy efficient equipment and green technology at the central plant means that all connected buildings connected to the district become greener. In effect, a district energy system can dramatically reduce the carbon footprints of entire cities relatively quickly and easily.

A greener path

Time is often an overlooked resource, as it is easily spent, but it can never be recouped. As we look to the mid-century, it is crucial that energy utilities explore and implement renewable strategies to reach net zero carbon goals. It is already estimated that global carbon emissions are expected to increase by 0.6% per year until 2050, underscoring the battle against time itself. That equates to more than half a billion additional metric tons per year above 2018 levels.

By harnessing the power of renewable resources, energy providers can dramatically cut carbon emissions and diminish the climate impact of their operations, ushering in a healthier, greener world for generations to come.

Vicinity Energy Provides Green Steam to Walters Art Museum Under New 20-Year Contract, Delivering Heat and Precise Humidification to Historic Buildings and Artifacts

Posted on March 3, 2021June 26, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

BALTIMORE, March 3, 2021 – Vicinity Energy, owner of the nation’s largest portfolio of district energy systems, announces a 20-year steam contract with Walters Art Museum to provide heating and humidification to the landmark Baltimore facility, which encompasses 70,000 square feet of space. With 50 percent of its steam generated from renewables, the district energy system will deliver high-pressure sustainable steam for the museum, replacing the facility’s current boiler setup.

Walters Art Museum will receive approximately 12,000 pounds of steam per hour (pph), replacing its traditional boiler system and transitioning its two existing functional boilers to provide back-up energy as needed. Vicinity is funding the connection to the district system, resulting in zero up-front capital costs to the museum, enabling Walters to reallocate capital funds to support exhibits and other core offerings. Completion of the project is anticipated by April 2021.

“In order to preserve the historic artifacts housed in the Walters Art Museum, our buildings must meet precise humidification requirements. The reliability of district energy, in addition to its ability to meet the specifications of the museum’s exhibitions while also reducing our carbon footprint, makes Vicinity an excellent solution for Walters’s energy needs,” said Julia Marciari-Alexander, who serves as the Andrea B. and John H. Laporte Director.

In addition to providing the museum with steam, Vicinity Energy has committed to a long-term 20-year sponsorship of the Walters – underscoring Vicinity’s commitment to the city of Baltimore, its cultural artifacts, history and communities. Currently, Vicinity provides low-carbon district energy to 30 million square feet of buildings in Baltimore, reducing the region’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by 30,000 tons. As Vicinity advances its net zero carbon plan across all its operations, customers will continue to receive greener energy solutions as a result.

“Through renewable energy use and ongoing greening efforts, Vicinity’s district energy system provides immense opportunity to deliver greener, more reliable energy alternatives to Baltimore facilities, while dramatically reducing their carbon footprint,” said Bill DiCroce, president and CEO of Vicinity Energy. “We’re proud to be the long-term energy partner of such an important Baltimore institution as the Walters Art Museum and deliver reliable heating and the humidification required to preserve the city’s precious cultural artifacts.”

About Vicinity Energy

Vicinity Energy is a clean energy company that owns and operates an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States. Vicinity produces and distributes reliable, clean steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. Vicinity continuously invests in its infrastructure and the latest technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of commercial and institutional buildings in city centers. Vicinity is committed to achieving net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.vicinityenergy.us or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

Media Contact

Vicinity Energy
Sara DeMille
Marketing and Communications
857-955-5073
sara.demille@vicinityenergy.us

The many benefits of CHP for a low-carbon future

Posted on November 4, 2020June 25, 2024 by Bella Pace

When people think about green energy, they often think of renewables like solar or wind power. While harnessing the earth’s natural elements to generate energy is an excellent strategy, these sources are intermittent and not always available. Also, space constraints in urban cores often make these technologies challenging to implement. Integration of wind and solar will certainly be a component of a greener future, but there are many other ways we can reduce emissions, save on fuel, and keep energy affordable by tackling the huge amount of energy wasted under current production conditions.

The United States squanders an incredible amount of energy through wasted heat. This heat, which is a byproduct of traditional energy generation processes, is vented to the atmosphere or released into bodies of water. Traditional generation and the electric grid itself are responsible for the majority of the thermal energy wasted. In fact, the United States loses more energy in wasted heat each year than is consumed by the entire nation of Japan.

One of the best ways to combat this issue is with CHP. By capturing heat that would have otherwise been wasted, CHP systems result in the most efficient use of fuel to produce clean, low carbon steam over traditional generation sources. Let’s take a look at what CHP is, how it works, and how it can help turn waste heat into usable energy to help reduce carbon emissions.

Understanding the CHP process

CHP stands for combined heat and power and is also referred to as cogeneration. CHP is an efficient process that combines the production of thermal energy (used for both heating and cooling) and electricity into one process. Unlike a traditional power plant that discards excess heat produced from its power generation process as carbon emissions, CHP harnesses this waste heat and puts this energy to good use. There are two common CHP processes that are used most often:

In the first, fuel is combusted in a prime mover, like a gas turbine or engine. Then, a generator connected to the prime mover produces electricity. The energy normally lost in this process as heat exhaust is recaptured in a heat recovery boiler to generate thermal energy.
In the second, a boiler burns fuel and produces high pressure steam, which feeds a steam turbine and thereby creates electricity. Upon exiting the turbine at a lower pressure, the steam is captured and used for thermal energy.

Benefits of CHP

There are many considerable advantages to CHP, both to individual buildings, campuses and society at large. CHP systems have an average efficiency of about 75%, but can exceed 80% efficiency when using steam turbines. This is versus the 50% efficiency yielded by traditional systems via separate boilers and generators. Greater efficiency means better fuel utilization. Better fuel utilization both reduces emissions and reduces costs.

Additionally, unlike many new technologies, CHP systems can be deployed quickly, and have few geographic limitations, making it easier for buildings within a district or campus to take advantage of the benefits of CHP and quickly lower their environmental impact. At the same time, CHP offers more resilient energy, especially when configured as part of an advanced microgrid. This was clearly evidenced in 2012 when Super Storm Sandy plunged New York City into darkness with its destruction of the local electric grid. But one campus stayed lit and heated – New York University’s Washington Square campus, which is powered by a 13.4-megawatt CHP plant.

Furthermore, CHP supports local economic growth by cutting energy costs and freeing up funds for other investments. According to the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, Installing 40 GW of new CHP capacity would save U.S. businesses and industries $10 billion each year in energy costs and shave one percent off of the overall national energy demand. Such an investment would cost about $40 to $80 billion and could pay for itself within four to eight years, these agencies estimate.

A low-carbon future

So, CHP is more efficient, more affordable, and spurs economic growth. What about the environment? For starters, CHP often uses domestic natural gas, which is cleaner than coal and superior to oil from an energy independence perspective. What’s more, opportunity fuels like biofuels and wood waste are also options for CHP systems, offering an even greener approach to CHP. CHP overall, and its ability to integrate green fuels, provides cities with a tremendous opportunity to reduce carbon emissions on a massive scale. By pairing CHP with district energy networks, low carbon thermal energy can be delivered to a broad swath of buildings and generate significant carbon reduction benefits.

CHP’s emissions are inherently lower than alternative technologies, and can meet even the most stringent U.S. emissions regulations. This is partly due to its aforementioned greater fuel efficiency, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO₂) and air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), according to the EPA.

How much of an impact can CHP have on emissions? Let’s put it in perspective. The Department of Energy estimates that the U.S.’s current CHP deployment saves about 1.8 quads of energy annually, and reduces U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 240 million metric tons. That’s the equivalent of taking 40 million cars off of the road. The DOE goes on to suggest that deploying an additional 40 GW of CHP could decrease CO₂ emissions by an additional 150 million tons each year, which is like removing 25 million more cars from the road. In other words, CHP can have a massive positive impact on our environment and pay for itself.

CHP in action

With so many benefits and comparatively little cost to implement, it’s not surprising that in their recent Market Data: Combined Heat and Power in Microgrids report, Guidehouse Insights reported that they expect 11.3 GW of new CHP capacity to be added in microgrids globally over the next ten years.

Unfortunately, most of that implementation continues to be outside of the U.S. As with many progressive energy moves, Scandinavia leads the way. CHP accounts for 50% of Denmark’s power production and more than 30% in Finland and the Netherlands.

However, CHP only represents about 8% of the U.S.’s total generation capacity. That means that there’s enormous potential for growth. Some major U.S. cities are already reaping the benefits of CHP, including Boston, Cambridge and Philadelphia. In these communities, CHP is integrated with local district energy networks, delivering low carbon thermal energy to buildings and campuses across these cities’ urban core. In fact, CHP driven district energy has been so successful at reducing carbon emissions, its specifically tied to these cities’ climate action plans. By leveraging existing district energy infrastructure and CHP, these cities are leading the way in America’s adoption of this powerful technology and forging ahead towards a zero-carbon future.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities turn to district energy

Posted on October 1, 2020July 23, 2024 by Sara DeMille

Why district energy has become the optimal energy choice

Hospital administrators have one key concern that drives all decision-making: how to provide the highest quality care to their patients cost effectively and efficiently. Each and every business decision a hospital makes reflects this objective and a bad one can truly mean life or death – especially in today’s challenging COVID-19 environment when cash is tight, and margins are thin. Hospital leadership is feeling the pressure to think creatively of ways to reduce costs, while also maintaining high standards of patient care and safety.

So why is this leading more hospitals to turn to district energy? In short, hospitals need to look for trustworthy partners, vendors and service providers so they can outsource non-core functions and focus on what they do best – caring for our communities. By relying on district energy experts to manage energy infrastructure and ensure an uninterrupted thermal energy supply, healthcare providers can focus on their core priorities and trust that their energy needs are being met. There are many more reasons why district energy has become the preferred energy solution for healthcare facilities.

How district energy frees up cash and operating budgets

First, with rising costs and shrinking margins, especially during this unprecedented global pandemic, hospitals need to look for each and every potential opportunity to save money without compromising care. Cash flow is a top priority for healthcare executives and there is a growing and perceptible urgency for cost control. Not to mention, making the wrong energy choice can be expensive, especially when your area of expertise is running a hospital and not a power plant. Hospitals are the second most energy-intensive commercial building type in the US according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), so without proper management from a reliable partner, energy can be a big line item expense and a major drag on budgets.

One of the primary financial benefits of district energy is the avoidance of operating and maintenance (O&M) costs associated with onsite mechanical rooms, boilers and chillers. This can save hospitals up to 30 percent per year in their operating budgets. In addition to operating expenses, investing in energy infrastructure can cost millions in upfront capital. If hospitals have cash on hand, they have to make tough decisions, weighing opportunity costs and choosing between patient care equipment or other infrastructure investments related to energy or otherwise. Without cash on hand, healthcare facilities are faced with borrowing costs that put pressure on the returns of their investments. With district energy, not only do hospitals save on operating expenses, but many district energy companies are also willing to invest alongside their customers, reducing or eliminating any upfront costs of connecting to the system.

With 99.99% reliability, district energy supports optimal patient care

Second, hospitals have unique energy needs. Not only do they operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but they also require thermal energy for heating, cooling, and, importantly, sterilization to ensure patient safety. This means they need ultra-reliable energy they can count on. While service interruptions are a disturbance to any business, any disruption to energy delivery to a hospital can have dire consequences. Here is what Bob Biggio, the Boston Medical Center’s Vice President of Facilities and Support Services, had to say about the importance of reliability:

“As a medical campus treating a diverse range of healthcare needs, it is absolutely vital for Boston Medical Center to maintain continuous and consistent heating, sterilization and comfort levels. After careful analysis of all of our potential options, it became clear that district energy would not only best support our operations, but will also help us to achieve our aggressive sustainability goals.”

District energy is 99.99% reliable, better than any other alternative, particularly during unexpected grid outages due to extreme weather events. With onsite fuel storage, the ability to integrate various fuel types, and multiple generating assets, district energy systems have redundancies built in to support 24/7 energy delivery, even in the event of a black-out. This flexibility and redundancy contributes to the energy security of hospitals and in turn, the communities served by district energy. In addition, most operators of district systems have the ability to isolate sections of their network to perform maintenance or protect the broader system in the event of an emergency. This is reliability that hospitals require.

How district energy is supporting sustainability goals

And finally, district energy has the added benefit of being efficient, low carbon, and sustainable. While most hospitals today are hyper focused on patient care and costs, many, like the Boston Medical Center, are also staying committed to their sustainability targets. District energy is fuel agnostic and leverages many different and diverse sources to generate the thermal energy that serve hospitals’ heating, cooling and sterilization needs. For example, many district energy systems leverage combined heat and power (CHP) plants, which not only generate electricity, but the by-product (steam) is then utilized for thermal energy. This recycled “green steam” is a cost-efficient, reliable way for hospitals to stay true to their carbon reduction objectives without compromise.

For these reasons, hospitals are more and more frequently turning away from natural gas and on-site mechanical rooms and relying on resilient district energy to supply their thermal energy needs, save millions in upfront capital costs and direct their operational focus to patient care.

Vicinity Energy celebrates Earth Day in Philadelphia

Posted on September 15, 2020July 18, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

In celebration of Earth Day, Vicinity’s Philadelphia team joined with ACV Enviro for the Schuylkill River Bank clean up. The team spent the day removing a cubic yard of aerosol cans for safe disposal and filled an entire dumpster with trash! The Schuylkill River is used for recreation and is a source of drinking water in Philadelphia, in addition to being an important habitat for wildlife. As a local environmental company in Philadelphia, Vicinity organized this clean-up event because we feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility to keep our cities green.