Home News 7th Global District Energy Climate Awards | 2021

7th Global District Energy Climate Awards | 2021

by Linda Bertelsen

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the awards are given this year. At the APUEA’s virtual Urban Energy Assembly, the 7th Global District Energy Climate Awards were announced on 11 November 2021, recognizing world-leading district energy projects while highlighting how district energy systems help cities and communities transition towards a carbon-neutral future.

The awards of excellence 2021 went to:

EmergingDHCCountries_Richmond-Lulu_Canada

Alexandra District Energy Utility | Richmond, Canada

CATEGORY: EMERGING DHC MARKET

Statement
“The Alexandra District Energy Utility (ADEU) is a low carbon district energy system that utilizes ground-source technology to deliver heating, cooling, and domestic hot water pre-heat services to customers in Richmond, BC, Canada. The system has grown, since 2012, to provide energy to 12 buildings, connecting over 2,200 residential units and over 2.3 million square feet of floor space. It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the community’s reliance on fossil energy sources. It is adaptable to sustainable energy sources such as ground source, air source, sewer heat and solar. To date, ADEU has delivered more than 41,130 MWh of energy and avoided more than 6,800 tCO2e of GHG emissions. The fully completed system will reduce more than 1,200 tCO2e of GHG emissions annually.”

Alen Postolka, Manager, District Energy, Lulu Island Energy Company Ltd.

Presentation PDF

Developing Countries_ Government Complex Bangkok-Thailand

The Government Complex | Bangkok, Thailand

CATEGORY: DHC IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Statement
“The Government Complex Bangkok is confident that district energy is one of sustainable energy solutions. Our architectural, interior, and engineering concepts are to achieve energy saving buildings of over 1 million square meters, in order to harvest the potential of renewable energy that would otherwise go to waste, without compromising health and well-being of our 24,000 occupants.

We believe that this Award will be an inspiration for other real estate developers in Thailand to realize the importance and power of this sustainable energy solution for today and tomorrow.”

Nalikatibhag Sangsnit, Ph.D, Managing Director, Government Complex Bangkok

Presentation PDF

 
Low temperature district heating in Brunnshög | Lund, Sweden

Low temperature district heating in Brunnshög | Lund, Sweden

CATEGORY: NEW SCHEME

Statement
”In Lund, we have been using waste flows for heating for many years. With the research facilities MAX IV and ESS, and the new city district of Brunnshög being built around them, we integrated waste heat into the infrastructure as it is being built. The world’s largest low temperature district heating grid already distributes the heat from MAX IV, which alone will be enough to supply all of Brunnshög when completed. The surplus heat is used within the regular district heating grid of Lund, making sure no heat goes to waste.”

Sara Kralmark, Sustainability Strategist, Kraftringen

Presentation PDF

 

District Heating System of Bolzano – Bozen | South Tyrol, Italy

CATEGORY: MODERNIZATION

Statement
Alperia is incredibly proud to be a winner of the 7th Global District Energy Climate Award. The district heating system of the city of Bolzano mainly uses excess heat from the municipal solid waste incinerator to provide heating and hot water. Thanks to district heating, the expansion of the distribution network and the increase in the use of waste heat by 137.5%, it has been possible to reduce CO2 emissions by 60%. For us, the Award is a stimulus to continue with our effort against climate change.

Günther Andergassen, CEO Alperia Ecoplus

Presentation PDF

 
Expansion_QatarFoundation_Doha-Qatar

District Cooling Central Plants, Qatar Foundation | Doha, Qatar

CATEGORY: EXPANSION

Statement

“We are conscious of our responsibilities towards the community to build sustainable operations, our goal is to contribute towards Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and honoring the State’s commitments to UNSDG goals. On the utilities front we are sparing no efforts to be industry leaders and groundbreakers in sustainable operations and have developed a program to eliminate the use of potable water in our District Cooling Plants while maintaining high efficiency.”

Khalid Y. Al-Yacoub, Manager, District Cooling & Infrastructure, City Operations – Facilities & Infrastructure, Qatar Foundation

Presentation PDF

 

FloatingOffice_Rotterdam_Nanne

Floating Office Rotterdam | The Netherlands

CATEGORY: ‘OUT OF THE BOX’

Statement
“The Floating Office as a timber structure is ready for a circular future. The Structure, made completely out of timber, shows that wood is a lightweight material that can go through multiple cycles of re-use: As a modular structure, it can be taken apart and rebuilt as a new structure and recycled into source material for cladding elements. At the same time, it’s a carbon storage. The Floating office demonstrates the value of adaptation when dealing with changing water levels, but more importantly, it has been designed as a holistic system in which material use, energy consumption work as a balanced system. The office’s foundation works as a heat exchange that uses the harbor water as a cooling and heat source and works with 870m2 of solar panels to be an energy-positive system. It is a holistic system in which the design results from pragmatic decisions packaged in an elegant design in which sustainable solutions are not gimmicks but rather just common sense.”

Albert Takashi Richters, Associate Architect – Powerhouse Company

Presentation PDF

 

OutofBox_Zakito_Curacao

Zakito District Cooling | Curacao, Dutch Caribbean

CATEGORY: ‘OUT OF THE BOX’

Statement
“The Floating Office as a timber structure is ready for a circular future. The Structure, made completely out of timber, shows that wood is a lightweight material that can go through multiple cycles of re-use: As a modular structure, it can be taken apart and rebuilt as a new structure and recycled into source material for cladding elements. At the same time, it’s a carbon storage. The Floating office demonstrates the value of adaptation when dealing with changing water levels, but more importantly, it has been designed as a holistic system in which material use, energy consumption work as a balanced system. The office’s foundation works as a heat exchange that uses the harbor water as a cooling and heat source and works with 870m2 of solar panels to be an energy-positive system. It is a holistic system in which the design results from pragmatic decisions packaged in an elegant design in which sustainable solutions are not gimmicks but rather just common sense.”

Albert Takashi Richters, Associate Architect – Powerhouse Company

Presentation PDF

 

Background

District Energy systems from all over the world are called upon to apply for each edition of the Global District Energy Awards.

The GDECA celebrates the achievements of cities and communities across the globe that demonstrate local leadership in providing clean, sustainable energy solutions.

The focus is on:
  • Identifying and recognizing systems that illustrate the overall importance of District Energy, heating, and cooling, in providing sustainable energy solutions.
  • Providing a global benchmark for environmental excellence.
  • Offering a platform for sharing successful ideas and efforts and encouraging further interest in District Energy.