Central Energy Systems - Applications to Economic Development

Abstract

The City of San Antonio's Office of Public Utilities has developed an innovative process to assess predesign energy conservation strategies for new buildings. This assessment also provides direction for the community's overall economic development objectives. The process utilizes two computer-aided programs to evaluate quickly and cost effectively the energy efficiency of new buildings. The City uses the Predesign Energy Program (PREP) to analyze efficiency in new individual buildings during the conceptual stage of design. The second program, Central Energy Systems Analysis Program (CESAP) analyzes energy efficiency for a group of buildings and determines if a new district heating and cooling (DHC) system would be a cost effective application to serve the development project's energy requirements. The combination of these programs have given the City of San Antonio the ability to: (1) help builders, owners and architects to reduce energy and construction costs; and (2) evaluate the feasibility of new district heating and cooling systems as a means to promote economic development within the City of San Antonio.