The Client
The Port of Bellingham (Port) is a multi-purpose government entity focused on economic growth opportunities throughout Whatcom County, Washington. In recent decades, the Port has taken an aggressive role in cleaning and restoring Bellingham’s waterfront, including the redevelopment of the Downtown Waterfront District.
The Opportunity
The 18.8-acre Downtown Waterfront District development area owned by the Port is part of the former pulp and paper mill designated for extensive rehabilitation and redevelopment that will expand Bellingham’s downtown and transform the formerly industrial site to a vibrant, live-work community.
The Solution
District energy was identified as a key part of the Port’s Master Plan to sustainably develop the Waterfront lands by employing utility system strategies that share energy, reduce carbon emissions and encourage urban densification while generating long-term positive impacts for the community. In 2018, the Port completed the installation of a district energy piping system along Laurel Street in preparation for future connection, and Corix was selected to evaluate the feasibility of various technologies for the system – including biomass, heat recovery from sewers as well as Puget Sound Energy’s adjacent power generation facility (Encogen), air source heat pumps and electric boilers. Ultimately, the system will utilize a variety of low-carbon sources including industrial waste heat recovery to become the first District Energy System in North America to meet the requirements of the Washington State Energy Code 2021 as a “Low Carbon District Energy System”. This new energy code bans the use of fossil fuels and electric resistance sources in buildings and requires mechanical equipment to meet stringent efficiency and performance standards. Corix will design, construct, finance, own, operate and maintain the district energy system, which will leverage local waste heat sources and building-to-building energy sharing to provide highly efficient, low-carbon energy to over 1.5 million square feet of new residential and commercial developments.
The Waterfront Condominiums by Harcourt Developments are the first buildings to connect to the system in Spring 2024, with Mercy Housing’s affordable housing development expected to connect shortly after. Future planned projects for the Waterfront District include a hotel and conference center, and additional residential and commercial space.
The Energy System
The Corix Energy Centre is designed to be modular and scalable to match the development schedule. Phase 1 will provide heating and cooling to 200,000 square feet of residential new construction (Waterfront Condominiums) via three prefabricated modules with 1.5 MWt of heating capacity and 380 tons of cooling. Low-carbon energy will be sourced from building cooling loads and industrial waste heat recovery. As new buildings are constructed and new low-carbon technologies become available, the Energy Centre will be scaled with additional capacity, ensuring equipment and capital are deployed on an as-needed basis.
Banner photo courtesy of Harcourt Developments