Interbay will be testing a new technology that captures heat from sewer pipelines and redistributes the energy to nearby buildings, under a pilot project proposed today by King County.
From the media release:
Under the Executive?s proposal sent today to the Metropolitan King County Council, the County?s Wastewater Treatment Division would partner with a private Seattle-based company, FreeHold Group LLC., to build a district energy system that would extract heat energy generated inside the Elliott Bay interceptor and use it for heating and cooling in Seattle?s Interbay neighborhood. The interceptor is a major pipeline that carries wastewater from downtown Seattle to the West Point Treatment Plant.
District energy systems produce energy from a central plant that can be piped underground to nearby buildings, replacing the need for boilers, furnaces, or air conditioners.
?I was pleased to advocate for this innovative clean energy idea after learning about it last year during a walking tour of Interbay with FreeHold Group LLC,? said Councilmember Larry Phillips, who represents Interbay on the King County Council. ?This project will be a win-win, bringing clean energy to Interbay businesses and a return on investment for county ratepayers.?