Entries in Propane (1)
Thermal Access Ports
Question: What can communities do to begin getting their heating needs met locally?
Many commercial facilities -- especially schools and large commercial buildings -- already have hydronic heating systems, with the water in most cases heated using propane or natural gas. Every large facility building with hydronic heating should install a Thermal Access Port™ in the facility’s boiler-return pipe to enable energy from an outside source to be injected into the building. A revenue-grade BTU meter must be installed across the heat exchanger to track the energy delivered to the facility. Local Energy installed such a system at the Santa Fe Community College, and successfully tested the system. Installation of the port cost less than $12,000, including engineering, parts, and subcontract labor. See Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1. Installation of a Thermal Access Port™






