Seattle EcoDistrict Operations

The Westin Building Exchange in Seattle, an urban data center, generates a tremendous amount of heat that is vented into the atmosphere to the detriment of building performance and our environment. Across the street, Amazon’s corporate campus needs heat sources to condition millions of square feet for the company’s growing workforce.

An EcoDistrict approach through a unique agreement between multiple entities to utilize waste heat from a data center to commercial offices located across property lines. A system of underground pipes, heat exchangers, heat recovery chillers and water storage tanks heats 4.1 million square feet of Amazon corporate offices.

The EcoDistrict’s heat recovery system provides up to 5 megawatts (roughly 17 million Btu/hour) to Amazon and will save over 75 percent of the energy that would otherwise be purchased from the local utility. Amazon shifted its large corporate campus from primarily natural gas heating to electric heating via heat-recovery chillers.

Edo and Seattle EcoDistrict Operations

Edo operates the Seattle EcoDistrict to optimize shared energy opportunities and building performance across meters. The effort is driving tangible energy and cost savings for everyone involved – the Westin Building Exchange, Amazon, the EcoDistrict asset owners and the local utility.

The EcoDistrict is on track to save 180 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electrical energy over the next 20 years. The Westin Building data center, in turn, will benefit from the ability to dissipate heat through this new virtual cooling tower. This will significantly reduce water consumption and refrigeration compressor use in the data center.

Just the Facts
  • Shared waste heat energy system from a data center to commercial offices.
  • Serves 4.1 million square feet of physical space.
  • On target to eliminate 1,440,957 lbs of carbon emissions.
  • On target to generate 180 million kWh of total energy savings.
  • $240,000 annual energy and operations savings.
  • Largest shared energy system crossing property boundaries.