David MacMillan Profile picture
Nov 15, 2022 8 tweets 5 min read Read on X
🧵Great presentations and discussion on the approaches to #DistrictEnergy development in Denmark and Canada (mostly ON and BC). TL;DR, they are very different! Thanks @ULIToronto and @BTYGroup 1/8
Denmark responded to the 1970s oil crisis with strong regulation of the heat sector. As Lars Hummelrose of @DBDHdk shows, in some ways it looks like Ontario’s regulation of electricity. 2/8
This provides certain advantages, including massive thermal networks (99% of Copenhagen buildings are connected), as well as thermal/electrical integration and advanced fuel switching, as illustrated here by Maëlle Caussarieu from the City of Copenhagen. 3/8
Thermal energy is not regulated in Ontario, so we largely rely on green building standards and private energy developers driven by the business case. Here, Shirin Karoubi of @DEAtcdk compares some of the key differences. 4/8
Even without regulatory certainty, there is still plenty of district energy activity in Toronto and the GTHA. Here’s a snapshot from Morrigan McGregor of @EnwaveEnergy 5/8
Large-scale fuel switching is occurring here too, with @_creativenergy leading the way in Vancouver. A new transmission line to their rebuilt Beatty St. energy centre will enable electrification without any service disruption to customers, depicted here by Diego Mandelbaum. 6/8
In Ontario, and Toronto specifically, the private sector often leads district energy development, but we can help by reducing barriers and enabling access to low carbon energy sources. This is why we mapped the sewer heat resource Diego is pointing to here. 7/8
We have a long way to go, and plenty to learn from the Danes, but I’m bullish on the future of low carbon district energy in Ontario’s municipalities. 8/8 #TransformTO

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with David MacMillan

David MacMillan Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @urbanenergyplan

Dec 13, 2022
Last week, Toronto Community Housing issued a Request for Proposals for a “District Energy System Consultant - Regent Park Revitalization Phases 4 and 5”. torontohousing.ca/doing-business… This is an incredible opportunity. #TransformTO 🧵 1/10
First, some context. Here is the overall phasing plan for Regent Park, as well as the proposed massing and estimated construction schedule for Phases 4 & 5. 2/10
Here is the existing district energy system, which is supplied by a main plant in the parking garage of 252 Sackville Street (Block 14), and a satellite plant on the roof of Block 16N (NW corner of Oak & Sumach) currently under construction. There is also a small microgrid. 3/10
Read 10 tweets
Sep 6, 2022
A thread on urban trees.🌳🌳🌳
TL;DR: We should repurpose the publicly-owned right of way (RoW) to grow our urban tree canopy. 1/12
Background:

Two weeks ago @todd_irvine wrote a great thread explaining why Lower Sherbourne's street trees are thriving 2/12
Then last week, @GraphicMatt explained that the city-wide tree canopy may actually be shrinking... thestar.com/opinion/contri…

...and @EmmaRoseTeitel wrote about one resident's efforts to replace a tree on their property. thestar.com/opinion/star-c… 3/12
Read 12 tweets
Aug 22, 2022
While it's true that the Ford government has no climate action plan and is providing next to no support for municipal action, I think there is a lot more that the Mayors and Councillors quoted here can do on their own. 🧵1/9
On new development specifically, municipalities can "compel sustainability in [private] buildings". Toronto has the Toronto Green Standard, which we apply using Site Plan Control, through authority in the Planning Act and City of Toronto Act (COTA). 2/9 taf.ca/green-developm…
All Ontario municipalities have the same authorities as Toronto (through the Municipal Act), which is how Whitby developed their green building standard. whitby.ca/en/work/whitby… Ottawa is next and others are currently working on their own. 3/9
Read 9 tweets
Jul 20, 2022
Finally read @jm_mcgrath's article on the Etobicoke Civic Centre Precinct low carbon district energy project, one of our first DE projects. Long-thread🧵 on it's journey, which I joined in 2013, but which really started early post-amalgamation: tvo.org/article/breaki…
1999: City Council received the report "Accommodation Plan and Long-term Strategy for Service Delivery for the City of Toronto and Master Plan for Office Accommodation" (aka the original #ModernTO), which identified the need for new facilities for west sector City staff. 1/18
2002: City identifies "new development at the City-owned former Westwood Theatre lands", pending reconfiguration of the Six Points Interchange. Proposed development process would include analyzing "feasibility of a zero-energy or near zero building". toronto.ca/legdocs/2003/a… 2/18
Read 19 tweets
May 10, 2022
🚨BIG NEWS!🚨The OEB has denied Enbridge's request to replace a 20 km section of the St. Laurent pipeline in Ottawa, stating, "The OEB finds that the need for the Project and the alternatives to the Project have not been appropriately assessed." 🧵 1/10 rds.oeb.ca/CMWebDrawer/Re…
Intervenors, including City of Ottawa, Ottawa Community Housing and Pollution Probe, presented evidence that focused on "actions and plans of these organizations to reduce their natural gas demand within the area served by the St. Laurent system." 2/10
e.g. retrofit programs (Better Homes Loan Program betterhomesottawa.ca/rebate-and-inc…), building policies (High Performance Development Standard engage.ottawa.ca/ottawa-high-pe…), and the federal government's ongoing work to modernize Ottawa's district energy system nationalcapitaldistrictenergy.ca/en/. 3/10
Read 12 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(