Design considerations for district energy insulation systems

Blog in Brief

District energy systems are becoming increasingly popular as they can be used to provide cost-effective heating and cooling to clusters of buildings, like those found on university campuses or in downtown areas, while potentially reducing overall energy use. However, there are several challenges that must be considered when designing the insulation used on the chilled water and hot water or steam lines that provide climate control for a district energy system.

Design considerations for district energy insulation systems

Here is a review of the challenges and common pitfalls that can hamper district energy insulation systems. We will also provide details on how to design insulation to protect piping, helping to ensure long-term, efficient function of the district energy system.

Key takeaways

• Plan for worst-case scenarios when designing insulation for hot water/steam or chilled water pipes.
• To protect chilled water lines, calculate insulation thickness to prevent surface condensation and use insulation with zero permeability.
• To protect hot water/steam lines, insulation needs to account for pipe expansion, especially in loops/zees, and be thick enough to protect nearby utilities including electrical or PVC lines.
• Pick insulating materials with characteristics including closed-cell, low/zero permeability, non-absorbent and high compressive strength.
• Inspect insulation during installation to ensure it is correctly installed.