Buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in New York State. Most of these emissions come from onsite combustion of fossil fuels for basic needs, such as heating, hot water and cooking. Decarbonizing buildings therefore represents one of the most critical, and challenging, climate opportunities in dense urban environments. Yet there’s an alternative way to transition these buildings rather than full-building electrification.
Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) use shared underground piping and centralized thermal infrastructure to support low-carbon heating and cooling to multiple buildings. These systems enable heat recovery and load balancing across different types of buildings, making them particularly effective in dense cities like New York when paired with heat pumps operating on ambient temperature loops or ultra-low temperature hot water loops.
Utility Thermal Energy Networks (UTEN)
Consolidated Edison (Con Edison) is an energy company that provides electric, gas and steam services to approximately 10 million people in New York City and Westchester County. Enabled by the 2022 Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act, and taking a neighborhood approach, Con Edison is now piloting these systems in two major Manhattan neighborhoods: Rockefeller Center and Chelsea.
We are the engineer of record for both pilot projects, having led mechanical, electrical and plumbing design and energy modeling to inform system sizing, performance expectations, utility rate structures and performance expectations. Alongside Con Edison and Ecosystem Energy Services, our team helped validate UTEN designs as technically feasible, scalable solutions to reduce carbon emissions and optimizing energy use.
