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1.
Plan on lower capital costs
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The principal and interest payments, property
taxes, and insurance costs associated with new boiler and
chiller installations are all eliminated with district heating
and cooling. The only initial costs in most buildings opting
for DHC service are for a heat exchanger and related piping
and valves.
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2.
Plan on lower energy costs
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With district thermal energy, a building purchases
only the energy it needs to meet its requirements. There is no
ongoing capital expenses to upgrade, rebuild, or maintain
excess capacity. In-building boilers and chillers typically
carry excess capacity to meet occasional peak demand, which
leads to inefficient partial boiler and chiller loading during
most of the year. This results in poor seasonal efficiency. By
contrast, central boilers and chillers are operated to achieve
the highest seasonal efficiency possible.
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3.
Plan on lower operating and maintenance costs
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With district energy a building has less need for
highly trained on-site maintenance and operating personnel, or
costly annual maintenance contracts. Boiler and chiller
operating expenses (i.e. electricity, water treatment
chemicals, insurance, and refrigerant and make-up water) are all
eliminated.
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4.
Plan on stable competitive energy rates
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Central DHC systems can convert to the least
costly and most available fuel, and thus achieve economies of
scale with volume purchasing. Systems are able to take
advantage of municipal solid waste systems where they are
available. They can also utilise waste heat from electrical
generation plants, which is not practical with in-building
systems due to an imbalance of electric and thermal loads.
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5.
Plan on more revenue generating space
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Elimination of production system and their
auxiliaries within a building frees up valuable floor space
for income-producing purposes, and increase architectural
flexibility. The use of DHC reduces vibration and noise
problems and eliminates the need for stacks going up through a
building.
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6.
Plan on reliable heating and cooling service
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Central utility systems typically are better
maintained and operated than in-building systems. They are
manned 24 hours a day by highly qualified operators, are on
strict maintenance schedule, and can be switched to a reserve
fuel source as needed. Backup capacity, and backup energy
plant redundancy is always readily available, without the need
for in building reserve boilers.
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7.
Plan on lower costs through system expansion
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As more customers join each DHC system, the fixed
capital and operating costs are spread over a large base, and
individual energy bills are reduced or stabilised.
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8.
Plan on a cleaner environment
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Central energy service from a thermal plant
reduces the number of smokestacks throughout a city, and
protects air quality by rigid control of emissions. DHC
eliminates problems associated with fuel delivery through a
city's congested streets, concerns over fuel availability and
storage, as well as other operating and maintenance
responsibilities. Many central heating and cooling production
plants have oil or gas pipelines to facilitate volume fuel
delivery. When they are fuelled with coal or municipal waste,
central plant typically have state of the art combustion and
pollution control systems.
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