District Energy St. Paul


Service

Hot water district heating piped to costomers year-round for space heating, domestic hot water and industrial process use.

Provider

District Energy St. Paul Inc., an independent, nonprofit company

Costumers and building area service

138 large buildings and 298 single-family residences in downtown St. Paul and adjacent areas; over 23 million square feet of building area served, including over 75 percent of downtown building space

Plant/office location

Hans 0. Nyman Energy Center, 76 West Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul

Production capacity

Three large coal/gas boilers, three gas/oil boilers, backup plant and mobile boiler: total 224 megawatts (765 million Btu per hour) thermal; also 86-kilowattturbine-driven generator

Fuel use

Primary fuel: high-Btu, low-sulfur Eastern coal Secondary fuels: natural gas, fuel oil, waste wood and purchased steam

Distribution system

78,100 feet of twin supply and return piping running from Hans 0. Nyman Energy Center east to Lafayettte Road, north to Empire Builder Industrial Park, and west to United Hospital area

Costomer demand

153 megawatts current billed demand; 177 megawatts initial customer demand before adjustments; annual sales; 260,000 megawatt-hours (890,000 million Btu)

Cogeneration

Cogeneration, the simultaneous production of heat and electricity, results in more efficient use of energy. Steam from existing boilers is used to power the 86O- kilowatt turbine-driven generator. Energy from turbineexhaust steam is used to help supply the hot water to district heating customers. Generator meets majority of District Energy electrical requirements

Histrical Background

1983: Hot water district heating system construction begun; first heating customer served 1985: Initial construction completed; extension to Mount Airy housing complex; 1956: Extension to Empire Builder industrial Park; 1987: New name, District Energy St.Paul, adopted 1990: Cogeneration of electricity added 1993: System of the Year Award from the International District Energy Association 1995: Recognized by Inc. Magazine and MCI as One of the top 40 customer-focused Companies in the nation; named Company of the Year by the Greater Saint Paul Building Owners and Managers Association


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