Methods and guidelines for assessing customer district energy needs. Interim report

District heating systems have been in service in cities, universities, and industrial facilities for more than 100 years. In recent years there has also been a rapid increase in the number of district cooling systems constructed as well as being studied for possible implementation. Ever increasing building construction and electricity costs (particularly demand charges), continued emphasis on energy conservation, new and improved equipment and piping technologies, and revived technologies such as thermal storage, have all contributed to the need and benefits of larger more efficient district energy (heating and cooling) plans and distribution systems. District energy (DE) may be generated in an existing conventional power plant (converted to cogeneration), a new gas-fired combined cycle plant or by electrical and gas fired chillers and boilers. The district energy system permits substantial energy savings over individual building cooling and heating systems. Further, such systems provide conditions for added economic development and environment improvement in the cities. District energy systems (particularly cooling systems) become more important in the US with the introduction of retail wheeling of electricity. Connecting a customer to a district cooling system (as opposed to individual electric chillers) implies a long-term customer for this service. Therefore the major motivation formore » district cooling development is to retain electric customers who otherwise may switch to alternative generators. The purpose of this project is to develop a methodology for evaluation of customer`s peak hourly, and annual load profiles in terms of useful energy to be supplied by a district system.« less