HomeMy WebLinkAbout05032023 PACAB Laydown Jaffa Heatloop Project DE-FOA-0002632
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Summary for Public Release
Seward Heat Loop Project
The City of Seward in Seward,AK has partnered with the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL), YourCleanEnergy, LLC (YCE),the Alaska Vocational Technical Center(AVTEC),
and community volunteers to develop the Seward Heat Loop Project for the City of Seward
District Heating System.
The Seward Heat Loop project will be a fourth-generation, community-scale,tidal-source
heating and cooling system in Seward,Alaska.The Seward Heat Loop Project Coalition will
refine the existing 95%design of a trans-critical CO2 heat pump system that will supply over
90%of the heating demand for 50%of the City buildings in Seward. These public buildings meet
critical community needs, and the proposed project will reduce dependency on heating oil and
lower CO2 emissions while meeting heating demand.The Coalition will identify design
alternatives to further improve the system's efficiency, cost-effectiveness,greenhouse gas
emission reductions, and system expansion potential. Geothermal heat pumps are still
relatively new to cold climates like Alaska, but they have a great deal of potential, especially in
district heating situations.
The Coalition seeks to ensure the long-term viability of the system by developing and
implementing a workforce training plan.The plan will detail local capacity-building efforts to (1)
ensure the long-term operability of the district heating and cooling system, (2) provide a
smooth transition between system installation and the expiration of applicable warranties, and
(3) support future demand for commercial or residential CO2 heat pump use—both within
Seward and for communities around Alaska.
The Coalition will identify ways to equitably distribute public benefits from the project through
effective public engagement, providing accessible ways to participate in the process and
incorporating input from a diverse group of project participants.
Stephen Sowell, Assistant City Manager at the City of Seward will be the project director,
specifically leading the community and deployment roles. Andrew Baker, founder of
YourCleanEnergy; and Dr. Matthew Mitchel, Robbin Garber-Slaght, and Georgina Davis with
NREL will serve as principal investigators in the design and analysis role. Cathy LeCompte,
Director at AVTEC, will oversee workforce development. The City has formed the Seward Heat
Loop Committee for community members to be directly involved in the project's development.