Blatchford

Sustainable Technologies

Blatchford geo-exchange centre

Blatchford will look to multiple technologies to achieve its high environmental sustainability goals.

District Energy Sharing System

In June 2014, City Council approved Blatchford’s business and implementation plan and directed the Blatchford project team to investigate the feasibility of an ambient district energy system to achieve Council’s vision for a carbon neutral community that uses 100 per cent renewable energy.

The City of Edmonton retained Associated Engineering, in partnership with DEC Engineering and Sustainable Strategies, to complete a detailed feasibility study and preliminary engineering design for Stage 1 of an ambient district energy sharing system in Blatchford.

After reviewing the site-specific characteristics of the development, the consultant team concluded that an ambient district energy sharing system, as part of a broader energy strategy, is viable for the Blatchford development and capable of achieving Council’s energy objectives for the site.

Energy strategy in Blatchford

Three interwoven strategies – energy conservation, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources – are being recommended to minimize Blatchford’s environmental impact and ensure community energy resiliency.

Conservation: All buildings in Blatchford will be constructed with high performance envelopes that exceed the requirements of existing and future Alberta building codes.
Efficiency: An ambient district energy sharing system (DESS) will provide space heating and cooling, and domestic hot water for all buildings in the Blatchford neighbourhood. The DESS is capable of sharing energy between buildings, neighbourhoods, and seasons, significantly reducing overall energy demand. This system will operate as an on-site energy system for the community.
Renewables: Existing on-site renewable energy sources including geo-exchange and sewer heat exchange will be incorporated into the DESS system.

Together, these three strategies provide a foundation for attaining carbon neutrality and community-based energy sustainability.

In September 2015, a report describing the district energy sharing system was presented to City Council. A comprehensive business case for the implementation of the District Energy Sharing System will be presented to City Council in the first quarter of 2016.