News Archives
Music City Center Closer To Becoming a Reality
One of the most exciting projects that has moved forward under Mayor Karl Dean's administration – with support from the Metro Council and leadership from the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency – is the planning and design of a new state-of-the-art downtown convention center – the Music City Center. Read More
Capital Projects Provide Condensate Savings
Three completed capital projects and two projects currently in the design stage will complete refurbishment of the condensate line for the District Energy System. Read More
Pesky Leak Discovered and Repaired
A sonic listening device operated by Metro Water detected a chilled water leak that has eluded CEPS for more than a year. Read More
Happy Birthday Metro District Energy System!
January 16, 2009
Mayor Karl Dean
On Friday, January 16, 2009, the Metro District Energy System celebrated its Five Year Anniversary of operations at the DES Plant with a reception to express appreciation to the DES customers. Mayor Karl Dean and other Metropolitan Government officials and Metro Council Members joined DES customers at the event.
Mayor Karl Dean recognized several individuals for their contribution over the past five years including DES Plant Manager Tim Hestle and Metro Project Administrator Harry Ragsdale of Thermal Engineering Group. Addressing those in attendance, Mayor Dean shared that Metro DES services have helped to lower the city of Nashville’s energy consumption and reduced the city’s electricity costs, and because the city decided to install additional future capacity when the plant was constructed, DES has been able to service new downtown developments. In doing so, the city's costs to support the DES system have been reduced, while at the same time reducing the capital investments of new developments.
click image to see larger view
“As we work to get new businesses to call Nashville home, these factors become increasingly important,” added Dean, “We want businesses to know that Nashville is among the leaders when it comes to offering greener, more efficient and cost friendly alternatives.”
Since 2003, DES has been responsible for providing heating and/or cooling of 39 downtown buildings with a reliability rating of more than 99 percent. Metro District Energy Systems will officially commemorate five years of service to customers in downtown Nashville on Dec. 16.
Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Annual Report
Summer 2008
Constellation Energy Projects and Services Group (CEPS), operator of the Nashville
District Energy System (DES) for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and
Davidson County, Tennessee, is pleased to present its fifth “Annual Report”. This report
summarizes activities related to environmental, health and safety issues, customer
service, marketing and sales, fuel procurement, finance and the performance of Energy
Generation Facility (EGF) and the Energy Distribution System (EDS), over the past
twelve months.
IDEA Centennial Conference
100th Annual Conference & Trade Show
June 28th - July 1, 2009
Celebrating 100 Years of Informing, Connecting, Advancing at Dsitrict Energy/CHP
"Local Energy, Global Solution"
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Arlington, Virginia
DES Third Anniversary Celebration
February 22, 2007
The Metro Nashville District Energy System third anniversary celebration was held Thursday, February 22, 2007 at the DES facility, adjacent to Gateway Bridge. Mayor Bill Purcell spoke along with Councilman J.B. Loring and DES General Manager Tim Hestle.
During the event, a plaque was unveiled to commemorate the first day of commercial operations at the new District Energy System. An outdoor kiosk was also unveiled that gives the history of Metro DES and explains how it provides heating and cooling services to 40 buildings in downtown Nashville. It was designed in part by the students of the Pre-Engineering class of Martin Luther King, Jr. High School.
General Manager Tim Hestle, Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School teacher Jim Woodbury,
Mayor Bill Purcell and Councilman J.B. Loring stand beside the kiosk on Gateway Bridge. (click on image to enlarge)
Project Administrator Harvey Gershman, Mayor Bill Purcell and Finance Director David Manning
stand by a commemorative plaque that was unveiled during the celebration.
(click on image to enlarge)
Fiscal Year 2006 Metro DES Report
August 29, 2006
On August 29, 2006, NDES delivered to Metro Council its Fiscal Year 2006 District Energy System Report. The report answered 13 questions posed annually by the Council regarding operations, performance and finances of the award-winning system. It also provided an overview of capabilities, new customer acquisitions, benefits of DES services over self-heating/cooling, and impact of DES on the City of Nashville. View report
Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell congratulated Metro District Energy System advisory board members, DES team members and Constellation Energy Projects & Services employees on winning the System of the Year award from the International District Energy Association. At its recent meeting, the advisory board also recognized Mayor Purcell for receiving IDEA’s Public Sector Leadership Award. (click on image to enlarge)
Fiscal Year 2006 Annual Report
Summer 2006
During the summer of 2006, Constellation Energy Projects and Services Group, the Operator of the Nashville District Energy System, presented the third “Annual Report” to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville. This report summarizes monthly activities related to the performance and operation of plant, the Energy Distribution System (EDS), environmental, health and safety, marketing and sales, fuel procurement and finance over the past twelve months.The fiscal year, July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006, has been successful in many areas which include, but are not limited to, reliability, efficiency, safety and customer service.
Mayor Purcell and DES Receive Prestigious Awards
June 2006
Rob Thornton, President of the IDEA, and Mayor Bill Purcell
Cheryl Gomez, 2005-06 chair, IDEA (far left), and Ray DuBose, chair of IDEA's 2006 System-of-the-Year Selection Committee (far right), presented the award to (left to right) John Schaffer, vice president of operations, CEPS; Harvey Gershman, project administrator, Metro Nashville District Energy System, and president, Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc.; David Manning, director of finance, Metro Nashville; and Don Clark, business
Metro Nashville District Energy System (DES) and Mayor Bill Purcell were recently presented awards by the International District Energy Association (IDEA) during the association's 97th Annual Conference & Trade Show ceremonies in Nashville:
Public Sector Leadership Award
The Public Sector Leadership Award, presented to Mayor Purcell, is given to the public entity or individual who has demonstrated public leadership in the energy field. (press release)
System-of-the-Year Award
The System-of-the-Year Award is the top honor IDEA can confer on a public or privately owned district energy system. It recognizes exemplary system performance and service that furthers the goals of the district energy industry. DES and Constellation Energy Project & Services Group Inc. (CEPS) were selected the winner by a panel of IDEA member judges that reviewed and scored entries based on each system's energy efficiency; reliability and availability; environmental benefits and compliance strategy; employee safety and training programs; customer relations, service improvements, communications and marketing; and involvement in the community and professional organizations.
(press release)
John Schaffer Promoted to Vice President of Operations
CEPS Group has named John Schaffer vice president of operations. In his new role, he directs all operations of CEPS, including build-own-operate projects, day-to-day management of energy service and multiple central plants. He is responsible for the preparation and implementation of department budgets and long-term capital improvement projects.
Schaffer has been with DES since 2002, most recently serving as general manager. He was responsible for managing the Thermal Plant and the successful start-up, transition and operations of the new system. He has more than 30 years of experience in the energy services field, including more than six years with CEPS. Prior to joining CEPS, Schaffer served in a similar role at Trigen Energy Corporation.
Nashville Hosts 97th Annual International District Energy Association Conference & Trade Show
April 2006
DES and Constellation Energy Projects Services Group will host the 97th annual International District Energy Association (IDEA) Conference and Trade Show at the Nashville Convention Center, June 11-14. More than 400 district energy professionals from around the world will come to participate.
All activities will be held in buildings connected to the DES system, providing the perfect opportunity for DES to show off its award-winning service and facility. A party at the Wildhorse Saloon will kick off the conference, which includes an exhibition with more than 60 of the leading companies and organizations involved in design, construction, operation and optimization of district energy systems, as well as numerous networking receptions, dinners and events.
The conference offers an extensive technical program featuring the following:
- District Energy Infrastructure Development
- District Cooling and Thermal Energy Storage
- Combined Heat and Power
- Renewable, Alternative and Biomass Fuels
- Environmental Compliance and Permitting
- System Optimization: Metering and Controls
- Sustainable District Energy Systems
- System Management, Maintenance and Operations
IDEA will recognize industry leaders and innovators at the Annual Awards Luncheon and Chairman ’s Dinner. Technical tours of the DES facility and Vanderbilt University Campus Energy System are also planned.
Energy Costs Increase Fiscal Year 2007 Budget
April 2006
The DES budget for Fiscal Year 2007 increased more than $3 million over Fiscal Year 2006. The 15 percent increase is a result of 21 percent higher energy costs, especially in natural gas.
The FY 2007 budget has a 1.1 percent decrease in capital budgeting, which helps mitigate the energy costs.
According to Metro DES contract administrator Harvey Gershman, the budget is very reasonable, considering energy prices worldwide. “The budget reflects a significant balance between cutting costs and continuing to provide excellent service to our customers,” Gershman said. “Aside from energy, we have actually lowered our projected spending for Fiscal Year 2007.”
Gershman pointed out that because DES buys natural gas in bulk at set prices, customers are protected from extreme price fluctuations in the volatile natural gas market.
New Metering Panels Benefit Customers and Metro DWS
April 2006
In an effort to provide customers with more detailed energy-use data and better service, DES recently installed new meters in most customer buildings. In addition, incorrectly designed metering systems were reconfigured to improve accuracy.
According to General Manager Tim Hestle, the new metering panels offer benefits for DES, too.
“This new program will allow DES to use software technology to accurately model and analyze the performance of our distribution network,” Hestle said. “It will also provide a means for customers to more easily monitor their facility’s energy consumption.”
The new panels record, store and securely send energy data via the Internet to the DES server. The data is then converted to graphs that display monthly energy flow rates, such as steam and chilled water usage or building performance against ambient temperatures. These graphs will be uploaded for each customer to view by logging on to the DES Web site through a secure Web link. Every month, old graphs will be archived to a separate link, and new graphs will be available on the customer link.
Panel display screens can be remotely viewed by using the metering panel IP address. Energy data can also be downloaded to removable memory cards. Customers’ building energy management systems can use real-time data by hooking on to the metering devices via a Modbus connection. In addition, the new panels allow e-mail alarms to be sent directly to customers when peak energy usage is exceeded.
A clearer knowledge of a building’s energy performance will allow customers to identify and eliminate undesirable trends in energy consumption and easily compare monthly energy consumptions to historical data located in the building archives. According to Hestle, data from the new panels will also give customers the ability to forecast their buildings’ energy consumption.
Example graph of monthly chilled water capacity profile.
Four New Customers Signed in 2005
October 2005
Metro Public Library
Metro DES is providing heating and cooling to two additional downtown buildings and is working to connect two more buildings currently being erected.
- The Schermerhorn Symphony Center was connected to the Energy Distribution System (EDS) on May 31.
- The Metro Public Library was connected with service for chilled water July 31 and for steam service on Aug. 1.
The Justice A.A. Birch Building construction is well under way and is coming along successfully. Construction included excavating a tunnel 5 ½ feet in diameter and approximately 330 feet long to accommodate the piping for this project. With that section complete, it is expected that the building will be connected to the EDS in early spring 2006.
The Viridian Tower construction is also on schedule, and the building is expected to be connected to the chilled water service around the same time next year.
DES is proud to be a part of these exciting projects and looks forward to providing new customers with the best possible service.
The Effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Natural Gas Supplies and Costs
September 2005
In less than 30 days, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wreaked havoc on the energy infrastructure in the Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas offshore Gulf Coast areas. In addition to damage incurred by onshore refining and processing facilities, the two storms ripped through vital production areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous offshore producing and drilling platforms and natural gas and liquids pipelines used to transport offshore production to onshore handling facilities were damaged or destroyed.
The result: Offshore natural gas production has been reduced by approximately 8 billion cubic feet per day. This represents approximately 16 percent of all natural gas normally produced in North America and is enough to supply 80,000 average households for a full year. Early indications are that it will take some time for the industry to bring production back on track. Some of it will be lost forever. Energy prices, including natural gas, were on the rise before Katrina and Rita – now they are at an all-time high. Forward trade natural gas prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) for this coming winter average in excess of $14 per million Btu, approximately 75 percent higher than prices being traded at the time DES prepared its fiscal year 2006 budget.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that, as a result of DES’ price risk-management program, we believe there will be no more than a minor increase, if at all, in DES’ overall gas costs during the year. DES has approximately 85 percent of its estimated natural gas requirements through the winter of 2005-06 hedged at an average price of about $8.30 per million Btu, an awfully good price compared to the current forward traded prices. However, the occurrence of the force majeure events may temporarily interrupt our ability to achieve our hedged price levels.
We will provide more details regarding natural gas supply and costs in our upcoming annual customer meeting. In the meantime, your continued efforts to conserve energy are critical. We appreciate your efforts.
Construction Updates
Summer 2005
The summer and fall seasons are proving to be busy for everyone involved with the Energy Distribution System (EDS) expansion. The following projects, currently under construction, will further expand the District Energy System's areas of service:
- The Gateway Boulevard expansion is coming along slowly but surely. After a small setback, paving is expected to begin in the fall.
- There are several projects proposed for 2006, including replacing the condensate lines to the Ryman Auditorium and from the Metro Courthouse back to Third Avenue.
- Construction will soon begin on the decoupling of the Tennessee Tower Building; the replacement of the outdated steam and condensate service lines to the Parkway Towers Building; and replacing the existing line at the State Library and Archives Building.
2006 International District Energy Association Conference to be Held in Nashville
August 2005
The 2006 International District Energy Association (IDEA) conference will be held in Nashville from June 11 to June 14, and local DES employees got a preview of what's in store for the city at the 2005 conference in St. Paul, Minn.
Several DES employees attended the 96th annual conference and enjoyed the sessions and activities that were available in the surrounding area.
The opening session, "Think Globally, Invest Locally: Recycle Energy," included an international panel of speakers representing district energy systems in Canada, China, France, South Korea, Sweden, and The United Arab Emirates. Each gave a presentation about district energy in their parts of the world and discussed strategies and visions for industry growth. The keynote speaker was Christine Todd Whitman, who served as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2001 to 2003 and as governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001.
Vendor exhibits and evening receptions showcased the latest equipment and provided good opportunities for networking with peers. There were also technical tours to demonstrate how district energy is being used in the area. Outside of the IDEA conference, many different activities were offered to attendees, including the IDEA Annual Golf Tournament, a fishing trip, tours of the city and an antique car and hot rod show.
The next months leading up to the 2006 IDEA conference are going to be very exciting and busy, and DES is looking forward to preparing Nashville to host the conference and boast about its state-of-the-art EGF facility.
DES invests in upgrades to enhance reliable service
Summer 2005
In order to continue to provide the best and most reliable service to its customers, DES has undergone several upgrades and repairs since fall 2003 and will continue to do so into 2006. These upgrades include several steam and condensate line replacement projects, including one on Deaderick Street and one on Charlotte Avenue at the Andrew Jackson Building. DES also recently completed the replacement of an aging steel structure with a concrete structure to further ensure safe and reliable service to customers. In addition, there are ongoing projects to upgrade customer commodity metering in 29 of the buildings served by the Energy Distribution System. These upgrades are set to be completed early in 2006.
District Energy System Celebrates First Full Year of Operations
December 16, 2004
On December 16, 2004, the Metro Nashville District Energy System completed its first full year of operations. To commemorate this, a sculpture of the Shelby Street Bridge was presented to the Facility.
The Shelby Street Bridge, once a vehicle transportation link across the Cumberland River, was refurbished and rededicated as a pedestrian bridge in 2003. In the same way, Nashville in 2004 built a bridge in providing energy to its downtown district. The sculpture of the Shelby Street Bridge, crafted by Ed Gershman, Artisan in Metals, was made from materials recovered from the old Thermal Transfer plant and symbolizes the bridge to the new District Energy System.
DES Welcomes the Viridian Residential Tower
December 2004
On December 1, 2004, Metro Nashville and Davidson County signed a service agreement with Viridian Development Company, LLC to provide the new Viridian Residential Tower with chilled water to cool space within the building.
The Viridian Residential Tower, which is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2006, is located on the corner of 4th Avenue and Church Streets, in the heart of downtown Nashville. The 31-story high-rise, made of solid concrete construction and brilliant, viridian-colored glass, will contain 305 condo units.
Visit www.viridiannashville.com for more information on the new Viridian Residential Tower.
Thermal Comes Down to Make Way for New Downtown Construction
July 26, 2004
After 30 years, the Nashville Thermal Transfer Corporation (NTTC) facility was demolished to make way for new construction. The final step was the implosion of the cooling stack on July 26, 2004. There are already several bidders on the site. Each promising to bring its own unique characteristic to the already scenic architecture of Downtown Nashville.
The Nashville Sounds Minor League baseball team has proposed the construction of a new $43 million baseball stadium, including a residential and retail development, on the site.
Links to Featured Articles
DES Now Operational
January 2004
The new Metro Nashville District Energy System (DES) is officially open for business. DES, which replaced the old Thermal plant as the source of heating and cooling for 40 downtown buildings, began operating in December 2003, seven months earlier than expected, and celebrated its grand opening on January 26.
“It’s remarkable to have completed construction seven months ahead of schedule, and our team deserves a great deal of credit for their accomplishments,” said Mayor Bill Purcell, who presided at the grand opening ceremony. “Today we celebrate the opening of our new district energy facility that will serve as a true catalyst for downtown economic development.”
The DES, located just south of the soon-to-be-completed Gateway Bridge at the corner of Peabody Street and Hermitage Avenue, pumps steam and chilled water through a five-mile series of underground pipes to downtown buildings. Its nine chillers and four boilers allow for ample expansion to accommodate many new customers, far beyond the capabilities of the Thermal plant.
Greater efficiency, lower electricity demand, a cleaner environment and a projected financial savings of $67 million for the city in its first 10 years of operation are just some of the benefits that the DES facility will provide to the Nashville community as a whole.
It’s an exciting time in Nashville - Feel the Energy!
December 2004
Nashville is transitioning from Thermal to the new energy plant much sooner than expected, and there’s still a lot to look forward to:
- Nashville is now home to one of the most modern, reliable district energy systems in the country;
- 40 downtown buildings now have a more efficient and reliable source for their steam and chilled water services;
- Those constructing new buildings downtown will have a new, state-of-the-art option for their heating and cooling needs;
- Valuable riverfront property currently occupied by the Thermal plant will soon be cleared for future redevelopment;
- Those currently operating buildings downtown who need to replace their self heating and cooling equipment also have a new, state-of-the-art option for their heating and cooling needs.
DES Welcomes The Schermerhorn Symphony Center
The Schermerhorn Symphony Center, currently under construction, will be connected to the Metro Nashville DES in 2005. Slated to open in September 2006, the 197,000-square-foot acoustical and design masterpiece will seat 1,900 and has signed up for a capacity of 4,200 pounds per hour in steam and 500 tons of chilled water to keep patrons comfortable year-round.