Solution: Clean energy future

One year ago, the Schuylkill River had just normalized after rising to catastrophic levels following Hurricane Ida. The ensuing floods that swallowed up the Vine Street Expressway, ruined homes, and businesses, and took multiple lives, provided a potent reminder that Philadelphia, nestled between two rivers, is uniquely susceptible to the impacts of extreme weather resulting from climate change.

If nothing else, a look back at the historic flooding should serve as a reminder of the need to advance prescriptive policies at the local level that curtail the negative effects of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect Philadelphia’s health and infrastructure. The recent Supreme Court decision undermining the EPA’s ability to regulate emissions on a national level amplifies the need for cities like Philadelphia to take charge of their climate futures.

Thankfully, Philadelphia has a policy road map in place. In 2021, Mayor Jim Kenney and City Council made a “net zero” pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It’s an ambitious goal that’s drawn support in other cities such as Boston, New York, and San Francisco. Coinciding with the pledge, the city also released a draft of its Climate Action Playbook — a blueprint of data-driven recommendations and expertise to suggest ways to reduce climate change’s impacts through an equitable and inclusive lens.

During Climate Week NYC 2022 and Global Clean Energy Action Forum in Pittsburgh, we want to spotlight Philadelphia and cities around the world that are at an inflection point for environmental progress. While municipalities need to look forward to innovations and policies, there are also existing programs and technologies that could be better harnessed by individuals and embraced by local governments to make a significant difference in achieving our climate goals.

For example, on a small scale, look at how electric cargo bikes are increasingly diminishing the environmental impact of urban deliveries. The British advocacy group Possible put out a study last year that found electric cargo bikes reduced emissions by 90 percent compared to diesel vans and by one-third compared to electric vans. Plus, the bikes were more efficient from a delivery standpoint, making more than 50 percent more deliveries than vans.

Although car emissions get a lot of publicity, building emissions are a bigger culprit. According to Climate Action Playbook, the buildings of Philadelphia emit a whopping 75 percent of the city’s total carbon footprint—triple the total emissions from all modes of transportation.

What cargo bikes are doing for deliveries, Vicinity is doing for building emissions. In April, we announced the launch of eSteam™. It’s a technology specifically designed to rapidly decarbonize this critical area of climate change. We will offer renewable thermal energy by installing electric boilers instead of the traditional gas-burning variety and industrial-scale heat pumps and thermal storage at our central facilities to provide sustainable and reliable service. Although eSteam™ will first be available in Boston and Cambridge, Philly will soon follow.

Investing in renewable energy sources will serve to increase energy stability and reliability in the face of recent climate and fossil fuel-related emergencies. At this week’s climate event in NYC, leaders noted that renewables would ensure resilience and security beyond driving economic growth.

We are committed to using innovative technology to upgrade how we create steam to serve downtown Philadelphia. We’ve already begun scoping and designing our systems for decarbonization. We are beyond excited with the overwhelmingly positive response to our plan among advocates, policymakers, and customers.

Simply put, Philadelphia is on track to become the largest decarbonized district energy system in the U.S.

At Vicinity Energy, we constantly look at what leaders are doing worldwide for inspiration and guidance on combatting climate change. Similar thermal energy systems surpass their climate goals in places like Copenhagen, and we need to do more in Philadelphia. Vicinity is innovating, implementing, and solving decarbonization challenges, “Getting It Done” with district energy.

With the most prominent global climate event kicking off, Climate Week NYC 2022, the environmental community has genuine excitement and optimism. The optimism is spurred by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), recently signed into law by President Biden. Its climate change and energy innovation elements represent Congress’s most significant climate investment ever made. In Massachusetts, this is coupled with Governor Charlie Baker signing the “Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind” bill into law – which outlines the roadmap for how Massachusetts will meet its ambitious climate targets and clean energy goals for 2050 – potentially further solidifying New England’s status as a national leader. 

While the IRA is projected to reduce the country’s carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030, Massachusetts businesses, government, and the climate communities continue to grapple with how to reach net zero emissions. It will be heartening to see Climate Week’s organizers bring together the world’s most influential leaders in climate action to explore the impact of buildings and infrastructure on climate. Still, event stakeholders need to capitalize on recent momentum while staying focused on what will have a tangible, real-world impact. 

Today, buildings represent nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions and a third of global energy demand, so it’s critical that net zero buildings be powered by renewable energy. Given the outsized role that commercial buildings play in emitting carbon in major cities, carbon-free renewable energy technology can provide a one-stop- shop for institutions considering the right approach with enforceable emissions performance standards. As the first company of its kind in the U.S. to electrify its operations, we are committed to offering renewable thermal energy by installing electric boilers, industrial-scale heat pumps, and thermal storage at our central facilities starting in Boston and Cambridge, with additional locations to follow. Not only will this technology reduce a building’s carbon emissions, but customers will also be able to achieve their ESG goals while complying with regulations.   

With district energy, thermal energy is produced at a central facility and distributed to individual buildings via underground piping, eliminating the safety risks associated with onsite generation. District energy systems are agnostic to fuel type. This fuel flexibility enables the use of lower-carbon, local sources of energy, increasing the resiliency and security of the network and the health of our communities. Decarbonization upgrades to Vicinity’s centralized facilities immediately benefit the entire network. As more new renewable technologies and sources come online, district energy systems will easily integrate into existing distribution systems.

In 2024, Vicinity’s first electric asset will enter service. At that time, the company will procure electricity from renewable, carbon-free energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro to generate our steam product. Unlike onsite generation – which intrinsically involves onsite combustion as part of the energy generation process – district energy is a much safer alternative. 

President Biden’s pledge to reduce U.S. emissions from 2005 levels – by at least in half within the next several years – and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 is ambitious. One key to understanding how Greater Boston institutions will reach these goals can be found in the upgraded and innovative use of district energy. As Climate Week NYC 2022 celebrates recent progress and debates the opportunity to transform traditionally hard-to-abate sectors, it will be necessary for thought leaders to recognize the radical shift that has recently occurred within our industry. Commercial building owners in Boston already see the difference.

We look forward to demonstrating this technology’s role in more significant decarbonization debates as we expand into additional markets in the near future.