If there’s anything we learned from Brendan Fraser and the cast of The Mummy, even that which is long dead, could still come back to life.
But, this particular dead thing — once known as the Great Western Sugar Factory — still has a long way to go.
During the budget discussion portion of Tuesday’s Longmont City Council regular session, city staff discussed a proposal that would use treated wastewater as an energy source for heating and cooling buildings within future redevelopment at the sugar mill.
Details, please:
The idea would involve the creation of a district energy system. This is essentially a shared heating and cooling system for a cluster of buildings, with a central plant producing and distributing thermal energy rather than each individual building having its own boiler, furnace and air-conditioning system.
The idea is simple enough and not uncommon. District energy systems are frequently used for densely-packed developments like colleges and medical campuses. As for the heating and cooling capabilities of wastewater, Longmont has experience. Per a city council agenda packet, wastewater — in this instance, hot water used for showers, dishes, clothes, etc. — sent into the city’s sewer system has often been heated for home or business use.
A perfect fit?
The idea has multiple things going for it:
The close proximity of the Longmont Wastewater Treatment Plant to the sugar factory means the city wouldn’t have to transport energy a long distance.
Redevelopment would likely involve a lot of buildings relatively close together. Top contending ideas include higher-density housing, retail, employment space, and other mixed uses.
How would it work?
Treated wastewater leaves Longmont’s wastewater treatment plant.
A heat exchanger and heat pump extract thermal energy from wastewater and transfer it into clean water that’s circulating through a network of underground pipes.
Those pipes are connected to every building in the development. Building-level heat pumps then use that thermal energy to heat buildings.
A fairly unique aspect of the project would be its ability to work in reverse. During the summer, heat pumps could remove heat from buildings and transfer it back into the pipe network.
Zooming out:
City staff is also considering the same idea for land in the area between Martin Street and Main Street within Boston Avenue and 1st Avenue, as the city prepares for the arrival of Front Range Community College’s campus.
No major decisions were made tomorrow regarding the issue, staff was only seeking general direction.
Councilmember Matthew Popkin responded with enthusiasm to the idea saying, “Full steam ahead.”