Description
District energy systems
District and campus energy systems provide heating, cooling, and electricity to buildings.
- Campus energy systems serve buildings owned by one group or company.
- Example: The University of Minnesota and several hospital campuses.
- District energy systems serve buildings owned by many different groups.
- Example: The Cordia system, which heats and cools many downtown Minneapolis buildings.
We’re working to make these systems better for the environment. One way we do this is by providing systems with lower pollution from heating and cooling. Heating and cooling buildings makes up a large part of our emissions. District energy systems control this process for many large buildings in Minneapolis. Changes to these systems could have a big impact on lowering emissions across the city.
What’s happening now
We’re working with different partners to lower pollution from energy systems.
Cordia’s Carbon-Free Cooling
- We’re working with Cordia to start a Carbon Free Chilled Water program. This program will cool buildings like the Target Center and Convention Center.
- Cordia worked with Xcel Energy to buy clean electricity.
- Codia will stop using an old gas chiller and use electric chillers instead.
Hennepin County’s Energy Center
- CenterPoint’s working with Hennepin County to reduce emissions from its downtown energy center. This system powers the Trauma 1 hospital, so it must be reliable.
- CenterPoint funded a 2023 study led by the County to find cleaner energy options.
Exploring Geothermal Energy
- Hennepin County is also looking into geothermal for the Government Center building. The Government Center is one of the biggest users of energy in the district system.
- Geothermal uses less energy for heating and cooling, making buildings more efficient.