Baltimore
Offering efficient steam, hot water, and chilled water to nearly 250 customer buildings within the central building and in Harbor East.
Underneath the city streets of Baltimore, Vicinity Energy’s efficient district energy system is delivering 99.99% reliable steam, hot water and chilled water to nearly 250 customer buildings within the central business district and in Harbor East. Over 50% of the steam delivered to Baltimore customers is green steam—steam generated through zero carbon, non-fossil fuel-based renewables—resulting in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 30,000 tons annually. Vicinity also supplies several buildings in the downtown Baltimore business corridor with reliable central chilled water services, supported by one of the largest ice thermal storage systems in the country.
With district energy, individual buildings don’t require onsite boilers or chillers—freeing up space for building amenities, eliminating the risk of onsite combustion, and reducing upfront capital and ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M) costs.
30 million
Square feet of space served in Baltimore
30,000 tons
Annual reduction of the region’s GHG emissions
11,000 cars
Cars removed from the road per year (carbon reduction equivalent)
Investing in Baltimore
Over 50% of the steam delivered to Baltimore customers is green steam—steam generated through zero carbon, non-fossil fuel-based renewables. By using sustainable, alternative fuel sources, Vicinity is reducing Baltimore’s carbon footprint by nearly 30,000 tons per year and helping Maryland meet its goal of generating 50% of its energy from renewable resources by 2030.
Meet The Federal Building Performance Standard With District Energy
Vicinity's systems can help you instantly meet the requirements set by Biden's Building Performance Standard (BPS) while benefiting from the efficient, sustainable, and reliable service district energy provides.
An Innovative Approach to a Cleaner Environment
With decades of building and managing the largest energy districts in the U.S., Vicinity continues to innovate and invest in sustainable energy infrastructure and technology to reduce our overall environmental impact.
Our Clean Energy Future is a reflection of this commitment and incorporates the latest strategies and technologies available, including:
- Electrifying generation to further reduce carbon emissions as the grid gets greener;
- Investing in efficiency projects and upgrades to our existing district infrastructure;
- Leveraging renewable energy for our “house loads” in our facilities;
- Researching new opportunities, like the introduction of battery storage, to meet the needs of customers and avoid costly grid interruption; and
- Exploring additional leading-edge technologies to accelerate our transition.
How District Energy Works
District energy is an innovative and resilient energy solution that uses a centrally located facility, or facilities, to generate thermal energy—heat, hot water, or chilled water—which is then transported through highly insulated underground pipes directly to nearby buildings, avoiding the need for boilers, chillers and cooling towers in individual buildings. Watch the video to learn more about how district energy works.
“The steam and chilled water services that Vicinity Energy provides are crucial to the operational efficiency of our hospital and support our mission to provide excellent and compassionate clinical care to all citizens of Baltimore.”
Robert Beckwith
Vice President of Support Services and Construction, Mercy Medical Center
A Clean Energy Future is in our Grasp
Our Customers
We help organizations of all sizes—from Baltimore hospitals to hotels to municipalities—use and manage energy more efficiently, sustainably and strategically.
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