District Heating Electric Boilers in Vogue Again

Dec 27, 2023

Due to the threat of global warming as well as international commitments to the Paris Accord on Climate Change, municipalities and regions using district heating in Europe and North America are tasked with significantly reducing their environmental footprint in record time. With district heating, towns or large areas typically receive heat and hot water, distributed to commercial, residential, or public buildings at greater economies of scale than individual heating systems.

In response, last year the 27-nation European Union (EU) agreed to cut greenhouse gas carbon emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. According to a recent report that has tracked the EU's power sector since 2015, renewables surpassed fossil fuels last year (38% to 37%), indicating that municipalities relying on district heating are already pivoting away from often inefficient, outdated equipment that produces excess carbon emissions.

Even the U.S., which recently rejoined the Paris Agreement, has targets for American businesses to achieve a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.

While the interest of regions using district heating in electric boilers has waxed and waned in the last century, suddenly it is in vogue again. Whether to honor Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) goals, meet regulatory commitments, or take advantage of government credits and incentives, a growing number of municipalities are installing new or retrofit high-voltage electrode boilers that are compact, economical, and produce no emissions.

This is, in part, due to technological advances in electric boiler design that increase the output of the boilers. When utilized for district heating, electric-powered alternatives are sure to be a critical piece of the puzzle to meet future emission reduction goals.

With district heating, besides the notorious greenhouse gasses carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), natural gas-fired boilers and furnaces emit dangerous nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM).

However, many facility engineers familiar with gas-fired boilers mistakenly believe that electric boilers cannot match the output of the traditional, fossil fuel burning units. Due to considerable advances in electric boiler technology, that is far from the case. Today, such technology can match the capacity of large gas or oil-fired boilers.

Electric boilers utilize the conductive and resistive properties of water to carry electric current and generate steam. An AC current flows from an electrode of one phase to ground using the water as a conductor. Since chemicals in the water provide conductivity, the current flow generates heat directly in the water itself. The more current (amps) that flows, the more heat (BTUs) is generated, and the more steam produced. Crucially, almost 100% of the electrical energy is converted into heat with no stack or heat transfer losses.

As an example, the electrodes of the CEJS High Voltage Electrode Steam Boiler by Acme are vertically mounted around the inside of the pressure vessel. This enables the unit to produce maximum amounts of steam in a minimum amount of floor space, with boiler capacity from 6MW to 52MW.

The boiler operates at existing distribution voltages, 4.16 to 25 KV with up to 99.9% efficiency, and can produce up to 170,000 pounds of steam per hour. With pressure ratings from 105 psig to 500 psig, the boilers are designed to ASME Section 1, and are certified, registered pressure vessels at the location of the boiler.

According to Presser, the electric boiler technology is used for residential and commercial district heating, which is increasing in demand, particularly within urban centers. With district heating, distributed heat is generated in a central location through an insulated pipe system, and utilized for high-efficiency, low-pollution, space and water heating. For central heating applications, electric boiler technology quietly supplies ample power for its compact size. This approach is currently being considered to install several 50MW steam boilers in the center of Manhattan.

Typically, district heating upgrades are initiated due to high heating costs that customers find unaffordable, often due to expensive fossil fuels or an aging system that needs to be replaced. Increasingly, such upgrades are pursued to minimize environmental impact.

The upgrades often entail retrofitting or replacing boilers (the heat source) with cleaner, more efficient electric alternatives, along with the heat distribution network (pipes/ heat exchanger stations).

"Electric boilers do not need an operator because if anything goes wrong, the breaker trips, preventing further escalation of the issue," says Presser. With electric boilers, the energy input as well as adjustment is also precise and virtually immediate. The electric units are also exceptionally quiet.

As the EU and U.S. resolve to dramatically cut their greenhouse gases to combat climate change, the urgency for areas using district heating to similarly reduce their carbon emissions will only grow. In this battle to protect the environment before the global climate hits an irreversible tipping point, municipalities along with state and federal government, and the commercial sector must do their part. Fortunately, advanced, zero-emission electric boiler technology can be a readily implementable part of the solution.

Content by ACME Engineering.

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