Massive heat pump and underground loop planned for Seattle University energy pilot

Puget Sound Energy is seeking master use and construction permit approvals to build an innovative $18.5 million Thermal Energy Network pilot at Seattle University. Designed as a model for urban district heating and cooling, the project is hoped to demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of shared thermal loops that recycle waste heat between buildings and could cut load on an increasingly stressed Seattle energy grid. The core of the project in planning along the school s multilevel Broadway parking garage is a high-efficiency, 4-pipe hydronic loop powered by an industrial air-source ammonia heat pump capable of delivering 3,000 MBH of heating at 180°F and 285 tons of cooling at 40°F, according to plans posted by PSE with the city. By linking multiple campus facilities including Lemieux Library, Campion Hall, Loyola Building, and the Student Center through specialized Energy Transfer Stations, the system would replace fossil-fuel boilers with centralized, electrified thermal