District energy systems
Centralized energy distribution, backed by local and global expertise
Reliable, efficient and low‑carbon thermal networks are reshaping the future of campuses and cities. District energy systems (DES) use centralized plants to generate hot water, steam or chilled water and distribute it through underground piping to multiple facilities. By consolidating energy production, DES improve efficiency, reduce emissions and support resiliency and energy affordability for universities, hospitals, airports and utilities as well as municipal and federal districts.
Since 1990, we’ve supported district energy providers and public agencies worldwide. As part of a global, multidisciplinary infrastructure practice, we help clients plan, design and deliver district heating and cooling systems that integrate advanced heat‑recovery technologies, modernized central plant infrastructure and optimized network layouts.
Our services cover the full lifecycle of DES, from infrastructure design, energy master planning, business case development and feasibility studies to construction, operations, maintenance and delivery. We ground our work in technical excellence and global expertise, supporting communities seeking dependable, cost‑effective and low‑carbon energy at scale.
Smarter planning for future-ready systems
Decisions made today shape the performance of systems that may operate for more than 50 years. We partner with clients to assess current conditions and anticipate future demand, mapping all potential pathways for thermal decarbonization and long-term energy security.
Our planning services include:
- Energy master planning, decarbonization roadmaps and resilience planning
- Emissions assessments, feasibility studies and life‑cycle analysis
- Campus and portfolio energy and load modeling with scenario planning
- Development of business case, commercial strategy and route to market
- District energy, renewable energy and microgrid concept design
- Planning and permitting
- Utility and infrastructure planning, system audits, contract and request for proposal (RFP)
- Expansion planning for growing campuses or new urban districts
We help clients compare technology pathways, understand lifecycle costs, and identify the most effective strategies for achieving reliability, energy security, operational savings and carbon‑reduction goals.
Integrated capabilities across the district energy lifecycle
We support district energy systems across their full lifecycle, bringing together electrical, mechanical, thermal, control, digital and civil expertise to deliver integrated, high-performing solutions in:
4th and 5th generations DES, wastewater and effluent heat recovery, geothermal and industrial heat recovery, energy-from-waste (EFW) generation, data center heat capture, use of river and lake water, thermal and seasonal energy storage.
Combined heat and power (CHP) and trigeneration, EFW and biomass generation, and high-efficiency boiler, chiller and several different types of heat-pump systems
Advanced protection and control strategies for thermal networks, SCADA and cybersecurity integration, digital twins and performance monitoring.
Engineering, procurement and construction support, grant and funding strategy support, delivery models including design and build (DB); engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM); design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM); and public-private partnerships (PPP).
As a vendor-neutral service provider, our approach ensures clients receive technology-agnostic guidance focused on long-term performance and value.
Our district energy work is shaped by innovation, collaboration and real-world delivery experience:
- 30+ years designing and modernizing DES for public and private sector clients worldwide. More than one billion square feet of built space, spread across multiple campuses, communities and facilities are supported through integrated energy planning.
- 180,000+ refrigeration tons of district heating and cooling capacity designed, installed or under construction.
- More than US$800 million in recent energy projects delivery.
- 5,000+ facilities improved through energy efficiency, onsite generation and distributed energy solutions. Across geographies and sectors, we support new and existing infrastructure. This helps clients deliver systems that perform today and evolve with the demand, policy and technology changes of tomorrow.