How New York Plans to Turn Waste Heat Into Clean Energy
District heating has been around for almost 150 years, with the first commercial system established in New York in 1877, yet it is still not widely used. The original systems used steam produced by a central fossil-fuel boiler. However, systems have evolved over time, and modern heating networks have more flexible infrastructure that can connect multiple energy and storage solutions to supply…
District heating systems, a concept over a century old, have predominantly relied on fossil fuels for heating and cooling in recent years. However, a group in New York called UpgradeNY is pushing for a shift towards renewable energy sources for district heating. Their plan involves replacing gas pipelines with thermal networks, utilizing heat pumps and waste heat from various sources like sewer systems, industrial facilities, and data centers.
The New York Public Service Commission recently approved two utility thermal energy network (UTEN) projects, although it rejected nine others. These projects, costing a combined $111.5 million, aim to utilize heat from bore fields and wastewater for heating and cooling. If successful, they could serve as models for similar projects across the U.S. These thermal energy networks use wells and pipes to circulate water or other fluids, capturing ambient temperatures from hundreds of feet under the Earth's surface.
The steady heat exchange enhances the efficiency of electric-powered heat pumps, which are preferable to gas-powered boilers and furnaces. In Haverstraw and Buffalo, the development of these systems is expected to create jobs. Massachusetts and several other U.S. states are also exploring UTEN development, although uncertainties remain regarding the costs and potential of these systems due to their small-scale nature so far.
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