Community heat sharing in Queens
Turning rejected heat from one property into a local energy resource for another.
The challenge
An earlier electrification effort at a community building in Queens increased utility costs without creating an efficient, coordinated heating system. At the same time, a neighboring telecommunications facility continuously rejects far more heat than the community building requires. The properties are independently owned and operated, so recovering that heat required more than a technical connection. The project needed to work across a property boundary while protecting the operational reliability and independence of both sites.
The system approach
URBS assessed the available rejected heat against the community building’s demand and found that capturing only a small share could meet most of its annual heating needs. We then developed the full system concept and implementation pathway for a local thermal network connecting the two properties. The strategy established how the heat would be captured, transferred and used within the community building, while accounting for changing demand and the need for backup capacity. URBS also prepared the supporting design documentation and coordinated the technical and financial partners needed to move the project toward implementation.