By Benjamin Leonard   08/27/2021  In Installation Products
Vicinity Energy Cuts Greenhouse Gases with Ductile Iron Pipe

Who and What is Vicinity Energy?

Vicinity Energy, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, supplies many downtown Baltimore, Maryland business corridor buildings with reliable central water services, offering a cost-effective alternative to maintaining in-house cooling equipment. In this Iron Strong Customer Spotlight, we’ll take a closer look at a recent Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe) installation project that will provide a means for sustainable, affordable energy in the Baltimore area for many years to come.

Ductile iron pipe awaits installation in Baltimore, MD.
Ductile iron pipe awaits installation in Baltimore, MD.
DI pipe installation project jobsite in Baltimore, MD.
DI pipe installation project jobsite in Baltimore, MD.

How and Why Do They Do What They Do?

Vicinity Energy's underground network of piping distributes steam, hot water, and chilled water to customers in the central business district and Harbor East while lowering the city's greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 30,000 tons annually.

“As cities become more condensed, extreme weather events increase and industries require more redundant and reliable energy, having an uninterrupted and sustainable energy supply (electricity, heating, and cooling) has become critically important to human health and economic prosperity.

For facilities, communities, and campuses that require and consume high volumes of electricity, heat, and chilled water to operate efficiently, district energy is helping to free up space in buildings, save building owners in capital expenditures and operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, and improve reliability and sustainability.

Our steam delivery networks can interface with any type of HVAC building system to provide low-cost and reliable thermal energy and cooling. We also provide centrally-produced chilled water, pumping it into buildings and eliminating the need for customers to purchase, operate and maintain chillers and cooling towers." ─ Vicinity Energy, vicinitityenergy.us

Sections of pipeline that will distribute chilled water to customers and businesses.
Sections of pipeline that will distribute chilled water to customers and businesses.
The project will help the Harbor East area reduce greenhouse gases.
The project will help the Harbor East area reduce greenhouse gases.

Vicinity's innovative system in Baltimore uses ice to augment electrical chilling capacity during the day. By reducing electricity use during peak demand, Vicinity takes pressure off the electrical grid when power usage is at its highest while also helping reduce customer costs.

Vicinity recently added Mercy Hospital to its customer list, requiring them to increase the chilled water line size to meet capacity. Vicinity increased a previously installed 8-inch chilled water line to an 18-inch line from North Charles Street east down to Route 2 in downtown Baltimore to meet the demand for Mercy Hospital.

Vicinity continues to use Ductile iron pipe as their piping material for the chilled water line because of its longevity and proven strength. Vicinity continues to add more customers in downtown Baltimore and plans to replace more chilled water lines with DI pipe as their customer demand increases.

For information on also using DI pipe for steam, see this Iron Strong Blog; Can I Use Ductile Iron Pipe for Steam Applications? by my colleague, Doug Clark.

Who Helped and What Did They Use for the Project?

Vicinity Energy was both Owner and Project Engineers for this effort. The Project Contractor was a combined effort from M&M Mechanical and Priority Construction. The project Distributor was Wolseley Industrial. McWane Ductile is proud to have partnered with Vicinity Energy and providing the Ductile iron pipe needed. Congratulations to all for this innovative approach to energy management and the successful completion of work. The chart below indicates the pipe used:

DIAMETER JOINT CLASS FOOTAGE
18" Tyton® 54 1,200
8" Tyton® 54 200
6" Tyton® 54 120
Vicinity Energy DI pipe installation in Baltimore, MD.
Vicinity Energy DI pipe installation in Baltimore, MD.
Vicinity Energy DI pipe installation in Baltimore, MD.
Vicinity Energy DI pipe installation in Baltimore, MD.

Need Assistance with Your Waterworks Project?

If you have any questions regarding your water or wastewater infrastructure project, be sure to reach out to your local McWane Ductile representative. We have team members who've managed small and large water utility systems, served in engineering consulting firms, and bring decades of experience in solving field issues involving pipeline construction and operation. From design to submittal, to installation, we strive to provide education and assistance to water professionals throughout the water and wastewater industry.

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Benjamin Leonard
Benjamin Leonard

Benjamin J. Leonard is the McWane Ductile Sales Representative for Maryland, the District of Columbia, and western Pennsylvania. Ben has been with the company since 2006, starting as a Management Trainee. Ben has spent most of his time in the foundry in the casting and melting side, holding positions such as Casting Superintendent and Hot Metal Manager. In 2016 Ben took the job in outside sales. Before working at McWane Ductile, Ben has spent time working at other McWane facilities such as Tyler Union and Bibby Ste Croix.


"After ten years of working in the foundry and learning all the aspects of how to make Ductile iron pipe, I was very excited to join the sales team to learn how and where our pipe is being used," said Leonard. "The fact our company provides the most vital thing humans need, water, is fulfilling. I enjoy the fact that McWane Inc, as a company, provides the materials and services needed to build a long-lasting infrastructure for our society. My favorite part of being in sales is visiting the job sites to see how all of the waterworks products McWane makes are being used to form America's infrastructure. I hope one day to take what I've learned while in sales and bring that knowledge back to the foundry to improve our products and services."


Ben graduated from Keene State College with a B.S. in Occupational Health and Safety. Ben is currently working towards his MBA from Quinnipiac University.


Ben has a son, Dylan, and actively coaches many of his son's sports teams such as football, basketball, and baseball. Ben enjoys playing tennis and golf and working around his home in southern Maryland in his spare time.


Ben's favorite quote is, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I − I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." − Robert Frost.


"The fact our company provides the most vital thing humans need, water, is fulfilling," said Leonard. "I enjoy the fact that McWane Inc, as a company, provides the materials and services needed to build a long-lasting infrastructure for our society."