Minneapolis System Profile

Downtown System Profile
Fairview-Augsburg System Profile

Downtown

The Minneapolis district energy system actually began as a small district heating operation established in 1926 by Baker Properties to serve approximately 10 downtown buildings. In 1967, IDS Properties purchased and continued to expand the system. As downtown Minneapolis began experiencing significant growth in the 1970s, IDS developed a full-scale district heating and cooling facility in partnership with Minnegasco, the local gas utility. It began operation in 1972 and has seen numerous interconnections and expansions over the years, including the addition of six satellite plants. NRG Thermal has owned the Energy Center since 1993.

Services provided: Steam and hot water for space heating, domestic hot water, humidification; chilled water for air conditioning.

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Area served: 130 square blocks of downtown Minneapolis.

Buildings on system: District heating, approximately 100 buildings; district cooling, more than 40 buildings.

Building space served: District heating, more than 43 million square feet; district cooling, more than 22 million square feet.

Total system capacity: 1.1 million lb/hr of steam; 40,000 tons of chilled water.

Plants: The Energy Center’s downtown system comprises seven plants housing a total of eight boilers and 18 chillers. The main plant, which generates and distributes steam and chilled water, is located at Eighth Street and Fourth Avenue South. The system also includes six satellite district heating and/or cooling plants: Convention Center, Foster House, First Avenue, Baker, North Riverfront and Marshall Field’s.

Distribution network: 4 miles of chilled-water piping; 6 miles of steam piping.

Fairview-Augsburg

NRG Energy Center Minneapolis operates the Fairview-Augsburg Plant near downtown Minneapolis, which has been supplying district steam to Augsburg College and the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview campus, since 1997. The Fairview-Augsburg steam plant was renovated after the two adjacent campuses jointly decided in the early 1990s to outsource their energy services. Previously, each institution had produced and distributed its own steam for heating until the 1980s, when they connected to steam service from the nearby University of Minnesota, which they used until 1997.

Services provided: Steam for space heating, instrument sterilization, kitchen operations.

Area served: The 23-acre campus of Augsburg College and the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview campus.