Capital Projects Provide Condensate Savings
Three completed capital projects and two projects currently in the design stage will complete refurbishment of the condensate line for the District Energy System.
The condensate return line is a major component of the District Energy System. It carries hot water that results from steam condensing during the process of heating the downtown buildings back to the District Energy Plant. The condensate lines were in pretty bad shape prior to the refurbishment projects that started several years ago.
As a closed system, the hot water being returned to the plant is important because it is reheated in the steam generation process and uses less energy than cold water that otherwise has to be added to the system. Condensate comes back to the plant at about 170 degrees F as opposed to 60 degree city water that would have to be used instead. Prior to the work on the system, less than 1% of the condensate was making it back to the plant. Now, 60% to 70% is returned consistently. This results in significant energy and water savings in the overall operation of the system.