Energy Analysis and Commentary

Question: What can communities do to begin getting their heating needs met locally?

Many commercial facilities -- especially schools and large commercial buildings -- already have hydronic heating systems, with the water in most cases heated using propane or natural gas. Every large facility building with hydronic heating should install a Thermal Access Port™ in the facility’s boiler-return pipe to enable energy from an outside source to be injected into the building. A revenue-grade BTU meter must be installed across the heat exchanger to track the energy delivered to the facility. Local Energy installed such a system at the Santa Fe Community College, and successfully tested the system. Installation of the port cost less than $12,000, including engineering, parts, and subcontract labor. See Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1. Installation of a Thermal Access Port™

Figure 2. TAP at Santa Fe Community College

Once a metered Thermal Access Port (TAP) is installed, heat can be purchased from the provider under a simple BTU purchase agreement. The heat provider must be given an operating agreement allowing installation and operation of equipment on school grounds, but the only monetary transaction would be monthly invoices for BTU deliveries. In this regard, the contract for the purchase of heat would resemble the school’s present contract for purchasing propane, in which a provider places a tank on-site and bills for fuel delivered to the tank.

Note that our recommendation is that the school purchase heat rather than fuel!

Figure 3. Responsibilities at the Thermal Access Port

Below is a simple, high-efficiency cordwood biomass boiler connected to a thermal access port to reduce natural gas purchases at the Santa Fe Community College. Design and Installation were done by Local Energy and Althouse, Inc.

Figure 4. Heating Unit Connected to Thermal Access Port at SFCC

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