District Energy in Downtown

The City of Mississauga is exploring the use of district energy systems to help us reach our climate goals in the Climate Change Action Plan.

What is District Energy?

A district energy system uses a network of underground pipes to heat and cool buildings. There are four main parts:

1. A central plant that produces hot and cold water
2. Hot and cold water storage can be added to maximize efficiency
3. Underground distribution pipes that carry hot and cold water to buildings
4. Energy transfer stations in each building that use the water to heat and cool the building

Photo credit FVB Energy Inc.

Instead of having a boiler and chiller in every building, district energy uses one or more central plants, which are staffed by professional operators. The benefits include: more efficient heating and cooling, ability to take advantage of innovative, low-carbon energy sources and technologies at scale (e.g., biomass, waste heat recovery, geoexchange), and increased reliability.

The Current Project: District Energy in the Downtown

One area where we are considering district energy is Mississauga’s Downtown. In 2013, the City completed a study that identified areas in the city suitable for district energy. The Downtown ranked the highest. As the study explained, there were a number of reasons for this ranking, including the downtown’s density and its significance.

For this reason, we included an action in our Climate Change Action Plan that commits the City to studying whether district energy is feasible for the Downtown. We are working on this action right now.

As a part of the study, we want to provide you with some information on district energy and then get your feedback. We will be hosting public meetings in November to introduce you to district energy and take any questions and comments you may have. Please use the link at the top of this page to register for one of the meetings!