Trenton
Distributing 99.99% reliable hot water, steam, and chilled water to more than 12 million square feet of space in Trenton.
As the seat of government for the State of New Jersey, the City and the County, the City of Trenton is home to several government facilities. The majority of these buildings within the city’s downtown core all share something in common: district energy is supporting its mission-critical energy needs. Vicinity Energy’s robust underground district energy network of piping distributes 99.99% reliable hot water, steam, and chilled water to more than 12 million square feet of space in Trenton.
Our interconnected central energy facilities have built-in redundancy, back-up generation and multiple water and fuel sources. Not only is district energy more reliable and resilient than conventional onsite boilers or chiller plants, it’s also more sustainable. Vicinity is in the process of developing a microgrid solution for the city of Trenton that will not only ensure uninterrupted thermal energy and power in the event of a grid failure but will also reduce the city’s carbon footprint.
12 million
14 miles
Steam and hot water distribution network
6MW
Investing in Trenton
By combining the production of thermal energy (used for both heating and cooling) and electricity into one process, CHP results in the most efficient use of fuel to generate electricity and condition buildings, using far less fuel than when heat and power are produced separately. CHP is also extremely resilient, providing uninterrupted thermal energy and power in the event of a grid failure.
Through the state of New Jersey’s ‘Town Center Distributed Energy Resource Microgrid Feasibility Study Incentive Program’ (TCDER), Vicinity was awarded one of 11 grants to design a new CHP plant that will repower Trenton’s central heating and cooling facility, reduce the city’s carbon footprint and provide a reliable, resilient and sustainable microgrid solution for the city of Trenton.
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.
Our Customers
We help organizations of all sizes—from hospitals to hotels to municipalities—use and manage energy more efficiently, sustainably, and strategically.
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