Renewable Energy Adoption For Businesses In Boston: The Economic Benefits – Policymakers have long wondered how to reduce the carbon emissions caused by the heating and cooling systems of Boston’s office towers, universities and hospitals.

A big answer to this vexing question lies right in front of them – in the Charles River.

Renewable Energy Adoption For Businesses In Boston: The Economic Benefits

Vicinity Energy, the private equity-backed owner of Steam Systems in Boston and Cambridge, has signed an agreement with MAN Energy Solutions to build a low-temperature source heat pump system at Vicinity’s plant near Kendall Square in Cambridge to generate steam. The source of that low temperature? Charles River water.

Solar Power Got Cheap. So Why Aren’t We Using It More?

Proximity is already retrofitting its Kendall plant, which uses natural gas to fire its steam boilers and a power-generating turbine that produces steam from its excess thermal energy. The company is replacing one of those gas-fired steam turbines with a boiler that will run off the electric grid, a $20 million project that will deliver steam to customers paying a premium to come from renewable electricity. Proximity will harvest that energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar plants and deliver “green” steam to customers — starting from a lab complex near Fenway Park built by developer IQHQ.

The deal with MAN, a German subsidiary of carmaker Volkswagen, could offer Vicini another green option that could reach more buildings at a lower cost. The goal is for giant industrial-size heat pumps to generate 40 percent of Vicinity’s steam for Boston and Cambridge; The company supplies steam that can heat more than 70 million square feet of buildings (the equivalent of about 60 Prudential Towers) in the two cities.

Kevin Haggerty, Deputy CEO and COO of Vicinity Energy, shows the old water pumping infrastructure as it is replaced by new electric boilers at the Kendall Power Plant in Cambridge, MA. Nathan Klima for the Boston Globe

“The amount of thermal energy in the river that flows is enormous,” said Bill DeCroce, CEO of Vicinity. “It’s an untapped renewable resource that flows every day. The technology wasn’t there to tap into it [before]. We’ll have it now. We’re using a lot of existing infrastructure.”

Creating The First Energy Resilient Service Station

DiCroce said MAN already makes these heat pump setups in Europe for hot water. Although it will use larger and more powerful compressors. Because the system is using the river’s thermal energy, it will return water to the Charles at a cooler temperature, about five degrees Fahrenheit. The system will draw up to 80,000 gallons per minute from the river, he said, under the authority granted by existing environmental permits for cooling purposes.

Heat pumps, from room sizes to industrial machines, basically work by pulling some heat from a source — the outside air, the ground or, in this case, nearby water — and moving it to another location.

“The novel part of this is being able to use river water, a low-temperature source, and make steam with it,” DeCroce said. “It’s never been done before on this scale.”

In fact, it will be the largest such heat pump complex in the United States. DeCros said he hopes to have it installed within three years. The exact cost has yet to be determined, though it could be several million dollars. As demand for zero-carbon heat grows, DiCroce hopes Vicinity will install a second one in Kendall to keep up.

This Is What We Need To Invent To Fight Climate Change

“This is the first domino to fall in the United States,” said Chris Froughton, MAN’s director of carbon capture and heat pumps. “Steam-generation heat pumps are not a well-known thing. If we come up with the biggest project ever, … it will show the world what’s possible.”

On Friday, Vicinity hosted a British delegation to the Kendal plant, led by MP Chris Skidmore, with local officials and environmental leaders to discuss the heat pump project and electric boiler plans.

New electric boilers will be installed at Kendall Power Plant in Cambridge to help decarbonise Vicinity Energy’s heating system. Nathan Klima for the Boston Globe

“It sounds really promising,” Casey Bowers, executive director of the ELM Action Fund, said after leaving the Kendall plant. “The water they send back into the river will be five degrees cooler, which is very good for the river in general. I think it’s really exciting. … As with everything, it will be important to follow through and follow through to make sure it’s as great as we believe it will be.”

Home Of The Future: How To Electrify Your Life

Emily Norton, executive director of the Charles River Watershed Association, is also optimistic. He said heat-pump technology shows the potential to reduce carbon emissions, and his group looks forward to working with Vicinity to improve “public access and ecology of this important but degraded stretch of river.” Given the threat posed by climate change, he said, it is important to explore creative solutions as possible.

Eventually, DeCroce uses heat pumps to provide the bulk of steam for its Boston and Cambridge customers, and envisions launching similar projects in 11 other cities where Vicinity operates district energy systems, such as Philadelphia and Baltimore. He said he would like to have up to three electric-fired boilers at Kendall, as well as a natural gas-fired electric turbine as a backup power source for the region’s electric grid.

He said the heat pump project doesn’t need proximity subsidies but has hired a firm to find federal funding to help defray costs and plans to lobby state officials to make sure it counts toward the state’s Alternative Portfolio Standards program for thermal energy incentives. doing It is hoped that a lower price for heat pump-generated steam will encourage more widespread adoption. Municipal policies are also helping: Boston already has rules requiring owners of large buildings to reduce their carbon emissions over time, and officials in Cambridge are close to adopting something similar.

Representative Jeff Roy, vice chairman of the House Energy Committee in the Legislature, said he was impressed by Vicinity executives as they laid out their plans. Reducing or eliminating emissions from buildings, especially large ones such as energy-intensive labs in suburban Boston and Cambridge, is considered critical to meeting the state’s net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050.

California Wants 100% Electric Vehicles By 2035. Will Its Energy Grid Be Ready?

“Probably the biggest concern for me is: How are we going to decarbonize our buildings?” Ray said. “It sounds like an amazing move.”

Bill DeCrose (right), President and CEO of Vicinity Energy, meets with Chris Skidmore, a British Member of Parliament, to discuss decarbonizing heating systems in urban settings at the Kendall Power Plant in Cambridge. Nathan Klima for the Boston Globe Renewable energy in Massachusetts is quickly becoming an attractive option for both homeowners and businesses alike. Because of the state’s dense population and therefore its energy demand, Massachusetts has become one of the leaders in renewable energy in the United States. The Bay State is making huge strides in developing renewable energy, from solar to wind and other sources.

In this guide, we’ll explore the different renewable energy options available in Massachusetts and discuss how renewable energy can help reduce emissions and reduce electricity costs.

Renewable energy refers to the production of energy from natural, sustainable, and renewable sources such as solar or wind. Unlike fossil fuels, these sources do not pollute or damage the environment—making them a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly option for power generation.

Shining Cities 2022

In Massachusetts, renewable energy has seen significant growth, with state-specific initiatives and incentives driving the expansion of solar and wind farms. The growing adoption of clean, renewable energy in Massachusetts not only contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also stimulates job creation and economic development in the region.

The transition to renewable energy in Massachusetts brings many benefits to the state and its residents. First, it helps combat the harmful effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This, in turn, leads to a cleaner and healthier environment with reduced air pollution.

Renewable energy increases energy security by reducing dependence on foreign energy sources, making the state’s energy supply more resilient and sustainable. Additionally, the growth of the renewable energy sector has created new job opportunities in fields such as engineering, technology and operations.

Investing in renewable energy provides a win-win for Massachusetts, providing clean, sustainable energy that protects the environment and strengthens the state’s economy by creating jobs and providing more secure energy. With continued investment and growth, renewable energy is likely to bring even greater benefits to the Gulf state in the future.

Eversource Customer’s Guide To Going Solar In Massachusetts

The Bay State’s energy mix is ​​undergoing a transformation, with an increasing proportion of electricity coming from renewable sources. According to the state’s October 2022 data, renewable resources make up 29% of the state’s net electricity generation and 25% of the state’s total generating capacity—almost three-quarters of the state remains green!

However, the state is poised for significant growth in renewable energy generation thanks to abundant wind and solar resources. Large wind and solar farms are already operational, and Massachusetts has potential with nearby offshore wind sites.

Renewable energy tax credits for businesses, renewable energy jobs boston, renewable energy economic benefits, renewable energy companies boston, renewable energy for businesses, renewable energy economic, boston renewable energy, renewable energy grants for businesses, the benefits of renewable energy, renewable energy benefits, renewable energy businesses, benefits of renewable energy