beneath your feet while walking around a college campus, there’s a high likelihood that a network of pipes pumping hot steam in and out of the buildings around you are working around the clock to keep your classrooms and dorms warm and temperature controlled. 

known as a thermal energy network (ten), these systems are used across the country, including on the shared campus of syracuse university and suny college of environmental science and forestry (esf) in upstate new york. 

but in 2025, the clean energy master plan from esf aims to disconnect from the syracuse university steam station as they move into the final stages of decarbonizing their ten to reduce their carbon footprint.

in the united states, buildings are responsible for the highest proportion of overall emissions nationally at 31%. projects to decarbonize, or lower emissions, have gained traction across new york state in recent years. however, at the current national decarbonization rate, it could take 200 years or more to address inefficient or greenhouse gas (ghg) emitting equipment. currently, esf’s thermal energy network is powered by steam distribution through a looped system of underground pipes. the clean energy master plan, co-funded by nyserda, proposes a decarbonized thermal energy network that could help esf decrease its greenhouse gas emissions by over 40%. 

“the decarbonization of a thermal energy network all comes down to where the heat is coming from,” says michael amadori, who works in esf’s sustainable operations and planning. 

traditionally, tens have relied on burning fossil fuels like coal, petroleum or natural gas to provide thermal energy to homes and buildings. but as demands for energy consumption have increased, advancements in technology like heat pumps and a need for electrification has allowed fossil fuel-based district energy systems to be retrofitted to become zero-carbon or decarbonized. 

these energy systems can be divided into five distinct generations with one through three being traditional and less efficient. they need to operate at high temperatures and use steam, pressurized hot water over 100°c, and pressurized hot water between 70°c and 100°c, respectively, as their heat-exchanging fluids.

fourth and fifth generation systems are the most efficient and sustainable models now. they are able to operate at lower temperatures and use lower temperature water as the means of heat exchange. tens do this by centralizing the heat into a connected network, and placing heat pumps in individual buildings. whether it is the wasted energy from buildings or harboring thermal energy from the earth’s constant 55℉, these individual heat pumps can reuse thes energy from thermal sources to move the water to heat and cool at lower temperatures, and use the heat pump to boost these in the building, requiring less energy and emitting less.

through 2024, the new york power authority and new york state energy research and development authority selectively awarded funding to colleges and universities, multi-family complexes, medical campuses and communities for projects that use sustainable tens to effectively integrate clean heating and cooling systems and equipment into their buildings. currently, 60% of esf’s energy is sustainably supplied by their combined heat and power plant in the gateway center. the remaining 40% of the steam used in the current system is purchased from their neighbor, syracuse university. in 2023, the syracuse university steam station emitted 48,134 metric tons of co2. 

“the master plan calls for a hot water distribution system which would make it easier to use electricity as the source of your heat. using hot water also allows easier tie-in for geothermal systems,” amadori says. esf will go through a bridging period in 2025. using their own heat from the gateway chpp, they will continue to heat buildings around campus and continue to disconnect from su’s steam network while retrofitting the pipe network and renovating buildings like moon library to transfer low temperature hot water rather than steam. 

the master plan takes a plug and play approach to decarbonizing how esf heats and cools their main campus. tens are quickly becoming the most efficient systems available to deliver climate-friendly heating and cooling equitably to entire communities.the new york public service commission and us department of energy have incentivized projects across new york state and the united states. the utility thermal energy network and jobs act has led to drafted plans in various states and some projects nearby in ithaca, new york are expected to start within the next year. 

in 1911, suny esf was founded to help find solutions to problems in the forestry industry. now, with a retrofitted, sustainable thermal energy network, they are leading the way towards a sustainable, zero-carbon campus of the future.