Affiliated Engineers, Inc.

Preliminary Design for UW’s Steam System Isolation

As part of the University of Washington’s broader campus decarbonization effort, this project addressed a previously identified need in the Energy Renewal Plan to separate process steam loads from the central campus steam distribution system. The project focused on assessing steam process demand and site conditions for a specific group of buildings, with particular attention to MHSC, and developing a preliminary recommendation for how those loads could be served independently. The proposed approach considered the sizing of supplemental steam heating systems in relation to available space and electrical capacity, along with project cost estimates. It also evaluated emerging options for full or partial electrification of steam demand, including resistive heat, air-source heat pumps, and thermal energy storage, to identify a practical pathway for reducing reliance on the existing steam network and supporting future energy system decarbonization.