When you wash dishes or take a shower, the energy that goes into heating water is typically wasted down the drain.
The False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility recycles this wasted heat back into the community and has a target of sourcing 70% of its supply from renewable energy sources
Take a video tour with our staff
How sewer heat recovery works
By City of Vancouver
The Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility recycles waste heat captured from sewage and waste water to provide heating and hot water to buildings in Southeast False Creek.
-
Step 1: sewage heat is captured
By City of Vancouver
The thermal energy, or heat, is captured at the False Creek Energy Centre using a heat exchange process integrated with a City of Vancouver sewage pump station. This supplies 70% of the utility's energy production.
-
Step 1 v. 2: sewage heat is captured
By City of Vancouver
The thermal energy, or heat, is captured at the False Creek Energy Centre using a heat exchange process integrated with a City of Vancouver sewage pump station. This supplies 70% of the utility's energy production.
-
Step 2: supplemental heat for coldest days
By City of Vancouver
The remaining 30% of the heat is supplied by high-efficiency natural gas boilers that provide supplemental heat on the coldest days of the year.
-
Step 3: pipe takes thermal energy to buildings
By City of Vancouver
A distribution pipe system sends thermal energy, in the form of heated water, from the False Creek Energy Centre to the buildings that it services.
-
Step 4: heat and hot water distributed
By City of Vancouver
Each building has an energy transfer station that transfers the thermal energy, or heat, to the building's mechanical system. The building's mechanical system then distributes heat and hot water to building occupants.
-
Step 5: waste water returns to the system
By City of Vancouver
In your home, you wash your dishes, pour boiling water down the drain, take a shower, and flush the toilet. The heat from the waste water you flush down the drain returns to the system to be captured and used again.