Industry: Life sciences
Emerson becomes first college to heat campus with carbon-neutral steam
Vicinity Energy in downtown GR adding electric boiler to make steam
Vicinity Energy in downtown GR adding electric boiler to make steam
Daren Bower of Fox17 West Michigan visited our Grand Rapids facility and spoke to Vice President and General Manager Jesse Douglas about how our facility is transforming to reach net zero carbon emissions. Check out the video for an inside look at our facility and new electric boiler that will be installed. Read the full article here.
Downtown steam utility says customers will benefit from $2M state clean energy grant
Empowering life sciences: Achieving sustainability with district energy solutions
Life science companies nationwide are dedicated to cutting-edge research and developing critical innovations and medications. This type of mission-critical work requires reliable energy 24/7, and compared to similarly sized commercial office space, lab facilities require 10 times more energy.
Because of their energy-intensive needs, many life sciences companies have established sustainability goals for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the planet. According to McKinsey research, the number of life science companies that have established carbon emission reduction goals increased by nearly 100 from 2019 to 2022. Additionally, many leading U.S. cities with booming life science markets also have aggressive climate action goals, making low-carbon sustainable energy a non-negotiable requirement.
Because of its high demand for energy and ambitious sustainability targets, the life sciences industry has a long history of leveraging green and reliable district energy for sterilization, humidity control, and building heating and cooling. As these companies expand in major U.S. cities close to Vicinity’s district energy systems, like in Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore, they can better meet their high energy needs and gain access to the right talent pool.
Vicinity currently provides steam to 33 life science facilities, totaling nearly 27 million square feet of building space. From supporting The Curtis’ office space to lab conversion in Philadelphia and providing carbon-free eSteamTM to IQHQ’s Fenway neighborhood district developments in Boston, district energy enables life science companies to excel as leaders in research and sustainability.
Why district energy is a trusted solution
State-of-the-art office and lab spaces support life science companies’ efforts to continuously operate without interruption, attract and retain top talent, and fulfill their corporate sustainability goals. While aging natural gas boilers require continuous maintenance and contribute to significant greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere due to the onsite combustion of fossil fuels, district steam better suits life sciences companies’ energy-intensive demand for heating, hot water, and sterilization without the ongoing maintenance costs.
Meeting high energy and reliability demands
Laboratories have particular and stringent energy requirements. From ventilation, space temperature, and humidity requirements to sterilization of laboratory tools and equipment, life science companies need high-quality, reliable thermal energy at a high volume to support their critical operations. Any potential interruptions can lead to millions of dollars in lost research and development, presenting a financial burden for life science companies and detrimental risks to advancing fundamental medical discoveries.
Optimizing energy efficiency to fulfill corporate sustainability goals
By leveraging district energy, facilities better support life sciences companies’ operational needs and sustainability commitments. Rather than relying on onsite boilers that continuously burn fossil fuels 24/7, companies only access steam when needed, maximizing the efficiency of their operations. Vicinity’s green steam is generated in combined heat and power (CHP) facilities, which produce electricity while simultaneously capturing waste heat that would otherwise be lost under conventional methods.
CHP systems are 25% more efficient than onsite generation, saving energy and reducing greenhouse emissions.
As Vicinity invests in upgrades at our central facilities, Vicinity’s operations will rely solely on renewable, carbon-free fuel sources and innovative technologies—including a blend of electric boilers, an industrial-scale heat pump complex, and thermal storage—to generate eSteam™. This transition enables life sciences customers, like IQHQ, to lead the way in decarbonization. Because district energy is safer, more efficient, and more resilient than conventional onsite energy generation, life sciences companies are closer to meeting their ambitious corporate goals.
Boosting tenant retention and satisfaction
In collaboration with life sciences real estate developers, Vicinity helps adapt buildings to better suit their needs. Building owners can rest assured that Vicinity’s long-term clean and reliable energy solution will enhance the overall satisfaction of their premier life sciences tenants while eliminating risks associated with outdated and inefficient equipment.
Benefits of district energy for mission-critical life sciences operations
Our energy solutions for life sciences are reliable and green, helping advance the innovations that propel our communities forward and protect our world.
- Increased reliability and sustainability – Without the burden of onsite combustion or maintaining chillers or boilers, district energy is a safer and more sustainable alternative. We have a 99.99% reliability guarantee and a team of over 450 energy experts, allowing you to focus on your work while we ensure 24/7 energy delivery.
- Optimal sterilization and humidification – The CDC recommends steam sanitation over conventional sanitation methods. Vicinity can provide a safer, more environmentally friendly energy solution to keep life science facilities primed for innovation.
- Uninterrupted energy supply – Proper operations and maintenance (O&M) of energy infrastructure ensures that laboratories and medical research facilities can rely on a reliable and uninterrupted thermal energy supply.
Get started with district energy today to decarbonize your life science buildings and access reliable, uninterrupted service.
Vicinity Energy Executive Chairman Bill DiCroce on Boston Public Radio
Boston Public Radio in conversation with Vicinity Energy’s Bill DiCroce
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On the WGBH Boston Public Radio show, Vicinity Energy’s Executive Chairman Bill DiCroce joined the President of the Alliance for Climate Transition Joe Curtatone on the radio to discuss how Vicinity is combating the climate crisis by electrifying our district energy systems, and why more businesses need to take action now.
About Boston Public Radio
Hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan facilitate smart local conversation with leaders and thinkers shaping Boston and New England. Listen to the full episode here.
The Boston Globe Climate Club Explores: Climate Innovation
Vicinity Energy’s CEO Kevin Hagerty took part in an Energy Innovations panel, hosted by The Boston Globe and presented by the Museum of Science. The panel explored the past, present, and future of energy innovations, including what has shaped the current landscape and the groundbreaking advancements that are driving us toward a sustainable future. Climate reporter Sabrina Shankman moderated the dynamic conversation between Kevin and the Executive Director of HEETlabs, Audrey Schulman, and the Chief Technology Officer of Innovation at Schneider Electric, Scott Harden.
Charging ahead: Vicinity’s decarbonization pathway through electrification
Mitigating carbon in the U.S.’s production and distribution of energy is now just as critically important as society’s ever-growing need for energy. The federal government, states, and local municipalities are implementing, drafting, and debating new laws, regulations, and programs to swiftly push the clean energy transition and decarbonization.
Commercial buildings represent the highest source of carbon emissions in major cities, making them one of the most critical targets in urban decarbonization. New York City’s Local Law 97 was the first to set restrictions around carbon emissions on existing and new buildings—with Boston following close behind with Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) 2.0. As communities strive to lessen the impacts of climate change and building owners look to comply with these evolving mandates, it’s clear that resilient, reliable, and agile energy solutions are needed for a more sustainable future.
The first district energy electrification strategy in the U.S.
One of the most valuable assets in achieving aggressive decarbonization targets is district energy, a network of underground pipes that delivers thermal energy and chilled water to buildings in urban communities. Because district energy systems are agile, flexible, and agnostic to fuel sources, they are essential tools to decarbonize communities at scale. As clean energy technology evolves and more renewable sources become available, Vicinity is quickly adapting to emerging trends to eliminate carbon from operations at central facilities in 12 cities across the country.
In 2020, Vicinity pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2050. As Vicinity delivers steam for heating, cooling, and sterilization to customers ranging from state-of-the-art life sciences research facilities to Class A commercial office space, the company remains committed to providing reliable and affordable products to help customers eliminate carbon emissions.
How Vicinity is getting there
The backbone of Vicinity’s decarbonization plan is the electrification of its operations by utilizing a combination of existing infrastructure and implementing new, innovative technologies at Vicinity’s central facilities.
Like district energy systems in Canada and Europe, Vicinity will import carbon-free electrons through co-located substations to power electric boilers and industrial-scale heat pumps. These technologies with thermal storage will deliver safe, clean, and reliable carbon-free steam, known as eSteamTM, for heating, cooling, sterilization, humidification, and other thermal energy needs.
While the technologies will vary at each of Vicinity’s central thermal energy facilities, below is a quick snapshot of the overall electrification strategy:
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- Biogenic fuel: A truly circular solution, Vicinity uses the waste cooking oil discarded by the local food service industry to generate steam. Vicinity has replaced heating oil with LR100, a biogenic fuel derived from waste vegetable oil. Benefits include significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% compared to distillate fuel and improving local air quality by reducing nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate emissions.
- Heat pumps: Vicinity is partnering with a Germany-based energy provider to develop a low-temperature water-source heat pump system for carbon-free eSteamTM generation. These plans are already in motion as Vicinity looks ahead to 2028 when the Kendall facility in Cambridge will be home to Massachusetts’s largest planned industrial-scale heat pump complex. Installation at other locations in Philadelphia and Kansas City will follow.
- Electric boilers: Leveraging existing infrastructure and access to a lower-cost, transmission-level electrical supply, Vicinity will consume renewable power from the grid and import it to its facility through the co-located substation to produce carbon-free eSteamTM.
- Thermal storage: To lower our customers’ average cost of renewable thermal energy, thermal storage will provide on-demand eSteamTM production from stored, off-peak renewable electricity.
What this means for Vicinity’s district energy customers and communities
Vicinity’s decarbonization journey enables buildings to transition to clean energy sources at scale and seamlessly achieve carbon reductions without any additional capital needed. As federal, state, and city officials enact building performance standards to reduce existing and new buildings’ carbon footprint, Vicinity continues to invest in infrastructure at central facilities. It enables customers to comply with these evolving standards. Vicinity’s eSteamTM sets customers on a rapid pathway to decarbonize by 2050 and achieve their ambitious ESG initiatives. With eSteamTM, Vicinity’s valued customers, like IQHQ, can provide resilient and responsible spaces to positively impact their building occupants and the surrounding community.
Oklahoma State University Partners with Vicinity Energy for Sustainable District Energy
Tulsa, September 5, 2024—Vicinity Energy, a leader in decarbonization with the nation’s largest portfolio of district energy systems, has partnered with Oklahoma State University (OSU) to provide chilled water and steam service to a new medical campus. This project will combine multiple existing buildings into a state-of-the-art hospital. Vicinity will serve the entire 58-bed medical-surgical inpatient hospital for Oklahoma veterans, totaling over 275,000 square feet of building space.
The medical campus will use steam and chilled water for space heating and cooling, domestic hot water, and direct steam humidification. By choosing district energy, the campus will reduce the emissions associated with its onsite operations.
Nearly 100% of the condensate water will be returned and reused at Vicinity’s facility. This sustainable practice conserves water and enhances the system’s overall efficiency, aligning with Vicinity’s commitment to a clean energy future.
By utilizing district energy, the medical campus will experience enhanced reliability, better redundancy, and greater energy efficiency compared to operating onsite equipment. This ensures a stable and efficient energy supply, which is crucial for the continuous and reliable operation of the medical facility.
“This partnership reflects our dedication to operational excellence,” said Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences. “By integrating Vicinity’s district energy solutions, we are not only minimizing our carbon footprint but also enhancing the reliability and efficiency of our medical facilities. This collaboration ensures that we provide our veterans with a safe and environmentally responsible healthcare environment.”
“At Vicinity, our priority is delivering innovative, sustainable energy solutions tailored to the unique needs of our customers,” said Kevin Hagerty, CEO and president of Vicinity. “We’re proud that OSU has chosen district energy for its reliability and environmental benefits, entrusting us with the opportunity to power their state-of-the-art medical campus. This partnership not only significantly reduces OSU’s onsite carbon emissions but also positively impacts the campus and the surrounding community.”
Vicinity is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions across its entire portfolio while offering sustainable solutions to help decarbonize its customers and communities. In Tulsa, Vicinity plans to implement electric boilers and heat recovery heat pumps, leveraging renewable energy sources to decarbonize its operations. This initiative will allow Vicinity to provide Tulsa customers with its carbon-free thermal energy product, eSteam™.
About Vicinity Energy
Vicinity Energy is the largest owner and operator of district energy systems dedicated to decarbonizing its operations and investing in innovative renewable thermal energy technologies to offer carbon-free eSteam™ to its customers. Operating 19 district energy systems in 12 cities, Vicinity delivers reliable and sustainable steam, hot water, and chilled water to 250 million square feet of building space nationwide. As Vicinity advances its electrification efforts across its locations, the goal to achieve net zero by 2050 is more than a commitment—it’s a mission. Learn more about Vicinity’s vision for a clean energy future at www.vicinityenergy.us.
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