Brainshrink
New Member
The Pearl Street Energy Centre is one of two major boiler plants servicing Enwave’s district heating system in downtown Toronto. Historically, the plant has been crucial in providing steam for heating buildings, utilizing natural gas to generate both steam and electricity through co-generation. It's current location would never be acceptable if we could pick a location today!
The Pearl Street Energy Centre features a prominent smoke stack, integral to its operations (we have a nice picture here!) which says it all. Demand continues to grow for the steam!
In recent years, the facility has undergone several upgrades to improve its efficiency and output. For example, Enwave installed a 2 x 2 MW co-generation project in the Pearl Street plant's basement, which was completed in 2017. This involved complex engineering solutions to fit new equipment within limited space (H.H. Angus and Associates Ltd.)
The new "low-carbon heating facility" will require electricity to operate the heat pumps and related equipment. Given the Pearl Street plant’s existing co-generation capabilities, it is possible that the electricity generated on-site will be utilized to power the new installations. This (and growing demands for steam) will result in greater (not less) natural gas consumption on-site.
While the upgrades at the Pearl Street Energy Centre represent a potential step toward sustainability, it’s crucial to recognize the challenges involved and provide full transparency about all of it's impacts in the local community.
The Pearl Street Energy Centre features a prominent smoke stack, integral to its operations (we have a nice picture here!) which says it all. Demand continues to grow for the steam!
In recent years, the facility has undergone several upgrades to improve its efficiency and output. For example, Enwave installed a 2 x 2 MW co-generation project in the Pearl Street plant's basement, which was completed in 2017. This involved complex engineering solutions to fit new equipment within limited space (H.H. Angus and Associates Ltd.)
The new "low-carbon heating facility" will require electricity to operate the heat pumps and related equipment. Given the Pearl Street plant’s existing co-generation capabilities, it is possible that the electricity generated on-site will be utilized to power the new installations. This (and growing demands for steam) will result in greater (not less) natural gas consumption on-site.
While the upgrades at the Pearl Street Energy Centre represent a potential step toward sustainability, it’s crucial to recognize the challenges involved and provide full transparency about all of it's impacts in the local community.
