Village Square Cogeneration Project

The City and ENMAX worked together to reduce the utility costs of Village Square Leisure Centre, a multipurpose recreation facility in northeast Calgary.

In 2016, a combined heat and power (CHP) cogeneration system was installed on the exterior of the leisure centre's northeast corner. The cogeneration system reduces the facility’s reliance on the electric grid to lower transmission and distribution costs and provides a cleaner, more efficient power to the building as well as reusing wasted heat. Return water from the heat exchanger that heats the pools and building is rerouted through the cogeneration heat exchanger, heating the water up by several degrees before it returns to the boilers so that they don’t have to run as often and for shorter periods of time. This saves on fuel and boiler costs. Unused power is also exported back on to the power grid.

What is cogeneration?

Cogeneration is a proven and reliable technology that uses natural gas to generate electricity and reheat return water for reusable energy. Cogeneration uses an onsite natural gas generator to produce electricity. During the production of electricity, some energy is discarded as wasted heat. In a cogeneration system, waste heat is captured and put to useful work.

Impacts to Residents

The cogeneration unit is designed to operate at reduced noise levels with less sound emissions and waste fuel emissions improving the environmental footprint. Area residents will notice little difference in sound levels, which are below acceptable sound levels outlined in Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) Regulations and The City’s Community Standards Bylaw 32M2023.

Read AUC Guidelines for Public Involvement in a proposed utility development.

Other useful links

Questions and Answers
AUC Guidelines for Public Involvement

This information has no legal status and cannot be used as an official interpretation of the various bylaws, codes and regulations currently in effect. The City of Calgary accepts no responsibility to persons relying solely on this information. Web pages are updated periodically. ​

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