Central at Garden City District Energy System Mini-Plant

Central at Garden City District Energy System Mini Plant became Phase 4 in the expansion of the Alexandra District Energy Utility (ADEU), the largest ambient heating and cooling district energy system in North America. The overall goal of the system is to reduce the City of Richmond’s carbon footprint. The Central at Garden City District Energy System was developed to meet the unique needs of the shopping mall, while also integrating with the main ADEU system, which is based on geo-exchange technology.

The project comprised the addition of distribution piping and a new satellite energy plant located on the roof of the Central at Garden City north parkade connecting almost 284,000 sq. ft. of retail space to the ADEU system. The satellite energy plant provides heating and cooling needs for retail tenants using energy efficient air-source heat pumps. This new energy plant is interconnected with the current ADEU energy plant allowing for potential energy sharing with the main ADEU distribution system. This project reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reducing natural gas use by up to 70% compared to conventional alternatives.