Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency has launched a groundbreaking $4.9 million pilot program, funded by the Colorado Energy Office, aimed at reducing the use of natural gas for heating and cooling in municipal buildings by using water instead of electricity. The initiative is part of the city’s efforts to achieve decarbonization goals while acknowledging the high costs associated with electrification of large buildings.
The program will study the implementation of a multisource district thermal water system to provide heating and cooling through a shared water loop for 14 city buildings, totaling 5.5 million square feet. By converting the chilled water system to an ambient temperature system that utilizes deep geothermal wells and heat from the sewer system, the buildings’ systems can be converted to water-to-water heat pumps for temperature regulation. This innovative approach is expected to result in an immediate 83% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, the project estimates saving 80 million gallons of water per year by shutting down Xcel’s downtown steam loop. The city believes that this approach is the most practical way to achieve full decarbonization of the downtown building stock without the need for a complete rebuild of the electrical grid.
City officials are excited about the potential for this pilot program to not only reduce emissions and save water, but also to serve as a model for other cities looking to tackle the challenges of building electrification. The project highlights the importance of implementing sustainable and cost-effective solutions to combat climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
