District Energy Systems in Calgary: A Neighbourhood Scale Systems Analysis

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The City of Calgary has ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions targets. One short-term mitigation action being targeted is the implementation of combined heat and power (CHP) systems. CHP involves the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat from a single fuel such as natural gas. CHP provides improved efficiency over more traditional methods of generating steam and electricity by making use of waste heat. This efficiency gain leads to less fuel being consumed and therefore lower GHG emissions. However, the actual energy performance of CHP strongly depends on the magnitude and simultaneity of the electricity and heating energy demands in a given community. Both of these demands depend, in turn, on the characteristics of the community such as the types and orientation of buildings as well as local climatic conditions. This makes the assessment of CHP very complex, and poses a barrier to its widespread adoption. This project develops an assessment framework for CHP systems that is applicable to both new and existing developments. The method applies energy modeling tools and is tested in a case study (the Manchester district in Calgary). The assessment framework includes the characterization of technical performance, energy demands, cost and environmental impacts. The framework will provide insights about the conditions and configurations under which CHP will deliver the largest GHG emissions reductions at lowest cost.These insights are critical to help ENMAX Corporation quantify the performance of CHP relative to conventional individual systems for heating in buildings, and develop a robust business case for CHP systems in Calgary.