(Credit: Pixabay)Vicinity Energy is launching eSteam, a plan designed to rapidly decarbonize commercial buildings, the highest source of emissions in major cities. The company will offer renewable thermal energy by installing electric boilers, industrial-scale heat pumps, and thermal storage at its central facilities starting in Boston and Cambridge, with its other districts to follow.
Vicinity Energy centrally produces and distributes steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. To offer cost-competitive, renewable thermal energy to its customers, Vicinity will build upon its existing infrastructure, including its extensive network of underground pipes, electric substations, and transmission lines, which are notoriously hard to site and permit.
Vicinity has access to wholesale, renewable power through the electric grid versus commercial buildings that purchase retail power, typically two to three times more expensive. Coupling the existing infrastructure with favorable pricing, Vicinity’s approach to electrifying its operations will provide customers with a cost-effective decarbonization tool without expensive onsite retrofits or significant capital investments.
The company says that by electrifying operations and offering renewable thermal, eSteam’s benefits include: the ability to leverage district energy with guaranteed carbon-free emissions; total flexibility in the amount selected and the renewable electricity source used to produce eSteam; an affordable, cost-effective energy option to achieve sustainability targets; carbon-neutral energy without substantial capital investments or ongoing, in-building maintenance of equipment; additional potential points for LEED and Energy Star certifications; and continued reliability and resiliency from the district energy system.
Vicinity’s eSteam will provide customers with another option to cleanly heat and cool their buildings. Commercial buildings will no longer need natural gas boilers, eliminating unregulated gas stacks and unmonitored carbon emissions in neighborhoods, reducing carbon and improving overall air quality.
Companies and cities consistently generate savings from decarbonization of facilities. Renewable and efficient energy projects for public entities in Arkansas implemented by Johnson Controls have helped cut more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and saved $229 million since 2010. The projects helped 22 public organizations with installing and improving renewable energy and decarbonization infrastructure.
New energy standards for buildings are also on the rise, prompting more commercial property owners to implement energy management initiatives.
