Boston and Cambridge
Distributing reliable and sustainable district energy to over 230 facilities in the Boston and Cambridge areas.
For over 90 years, the Boston and Cambridge district system has distributed reliable, resilient and sustainable district energy to some of the area’s premier hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, universities, hotel and entertainment venues, commercial space, and government facilities. Vicinity Energy’s robust, underground district energy network distributes 99.99% reliable cogenerated thermal energy—or green steam—to over 230 facilities that use it for heating, making hot and chilled water, steam-driven cooling and processes like sterilization and humidification.
$110 million
Green steam project investment in Boston and Cambridge
165,000 tons
Annual reduction of the region’s GHG emissions
36,000 cars
Cars removed from the road per year (carbon reduction equivalent)
Investing in Boston and Cambridge
In Boston and Cambridge, Vicinity has invested over $110 million in a series of green steam projects to improve efficiencies and reduce environmental impacts. These projects include incorporating the interconnection of the two previously separated district energy systems, a new 7,000-foot steam pipeline extension, acquisition and reconfiguration of the Kendall Station Cogeneration facility and the integration of renewable energy.
The new pipeline from Kendall captures and leverages the facility’s excess heat for use in Vicinity’s district networks, thereby recycling thermal energy that was previously discarded. These combined efforts have dramatically reduced the city’s carbon footprint.
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.
“After careful analysis of all of our potential options, it became clear that with Vicinity’s recent investments to create a more sustainable district energy system, executing a new “Green Steam” contract with Vicinity would best support our sustainability goal of a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.”
Bob Biggio
Vice President of Facilities and Support Services, Boston Medical Center
Electrifying Boston and Cambridge
With the help of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, we kicked off our electrification plans with the deconstruction of the steam turbine at our Kendall Green Energy Facility, paving the way for the installation of our new 42 MW electric boiler.
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.
eSteam™ is the first commercial renewable thermal energy product in the U.S. to accelerate urban decarbonization.
A Clean Energy Future is in our Grasp
Our Customers
We help organizations of all sizes—from hospitals to hotels to municipalities—use and manage energy more efficiently, sustainably, and strategically.
Meet Local Building Performance Standards With District Energy
Talk to our team of energy experts today to learn how district energy can help your Boston and Cambridge buildings meet BERDO 2.0 and BEUDO requirements.
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