The City of Richmond's first district energy utility is now in service.
Using geothermal energy to heat and cool more than 500 new residential units currently being built, the first phase of the Alexandra District Energy Utility was officially opened Thursday afternoon.
At full build out, the utility will help Richmond avoid the local production of 200 to 600 tonnes annually of greenhouse gas emissions.
The first phase of the utility cost $4.8 million to construct and will cost $80,000 to operate annually at full capacity. All of these costs will be recovered over time through user rates
"Richmond is committed to being a sustainable community and that requires finding new ways to meet our energy needs, while also reducing our greenhouse gas emissions." said Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who hosted the official opening ceremonies for the utility today.
"For a safe and sustainable future, we need energy that that is affordable and which leaves a minimal footprint on our environment.
"For a secure future, we need energy that is produced and controlled locally. The Alexandra District Energy Utility helps put us on the right path."
Owned and operated by the city, the facility has already secured contracts with three major new housing developments within the West Cambie neighbourhood.
The utility is already supplying the energy needed to heat and cool the new Remy and Mayfair developments, which, when occupied, will include more than 500 new homes and a major new daycare.
Construction is expected to begin soon on the new Omega development, which will also be a client of the new utility.
The utility is designed to be expanded as needed to service other clients in the neighbourhood.
This utility uses ground source heat pump technology to extract heat (geothermal energy) from the ground via an underground network of vertical pipe loops and more than 350 wells.
Water is pumped though this network where it is heated by the naturally-occurring thermal heat of the earth.
The water is then re-circulated into the utility Energy Centre on Odlin Road, where pumps distribute it off to the heat exchangers located within customer buildings.
