They say that necessity is the mother of invention. We would add that crisis makes it happen even faster!
In 1998, the ice storm in Eastern Canada plunged many regions into an electrical power crisis and launched a whole new era of thinking about energy self-reliance. Combined with the deregulation of the power industry in Ontario, it introduced a new way of approaching energy generation and distribution.
Originally, the Markham District project focused solely on heating and cooling buildings in the community in a reliable and economical way. The energy centre distributes hot water, steam and chilled water for the area through a series of underground pipes that feed into customers’ buildings, instead of each building having its own furnace or boiler equipment. Using natural gas as its primary fuel source, the system delivers economy of scale while being very reliable, and it also generates electricity as a by-product. The power plant deploys a cogeneration strategy using state-of-the art reciprocating generator sets and heat recovery technology that produce electricity that supplies residential and commercial buildings, serves as a backup power source or can be sold into Ontario’s power grid.
Over the years Markham District Energy has been getting bigger and bigger, proving that it was a reliable and efficient way to generate energy. The city has been leading the way in a new era of power generation that looks beyond the traditional plant and grid system. It is probably now a given that we are going to see more and more smaller local grids powered by a combination of sources and technologies. These new solutions may prove to be of real interest for industry as well as for communities.
Want to learn more about the Markham District project?
or watch the video:
