Current and Future District Energy Opportunity Areas
Multiple sites across Edmonton have been identified as a priority for district energy. Refer to the District Energy Strategy for a full list of opportunity areas.
Current areas include:
District energy presents a unique opportunity to transform Edmonton’s local energy systems to be low-carbon while stimulating the local economy and increasing access to affordable renewable energy.
Edmonton's Need for District Energy
Edmonton has one of the highest per capita rates of emissions in the world. Addressing how we heat and in some cases cool, buildings, is a critical factor in building a climate-resilient city — this is where district energy comes in.
District energy systems are a proven energy solution that will bring Edmonton closer to its climate goals. Integrating energy efficiency and alternative and renewable energy technologies, district energy systems produce low-carbon thermal energy (heating and/or cooling) and distribute it to connected buildings.
The How
As of 2019, there were more than 200 district energy systems across Canada, supplying just over 2 percent of the country's heating (Source: Energy Exchange).
Through a range of technologies and energy sources, district energy systems generate (or extract) heat and cooling at a central energy site. This thermal energy is then transferred to a fluid and distributed through an underground piping network to connected buildings. These connected buildings — residential, commercial and/or industrial — use the thermal energy supplied by district energy for space and water heating and, in some cases, cooling.
The City’s District Energy Strategy
As part of Edmonton’s Community Energy Transition Strategy, the City of Edmonton has set an ambitious target to be carbon neutral in its corporate operations by 2040, and for the entire community to produce net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
Bringing Edmonton closer to its climate goals, the City’s District Energy Strategy is a transformational initiative that offers the opportunity to significantly reduce GHG emissions by an estimated 230,000 tonnes of CO2 per year across all district energy opportunity areas.