District heating: Why more communities are sharing a single heating system
What if you never had to buy, fix or maintain a furnace or air conditioner to keep your home comfy? What if they worked even during power outages, and you could count on them becoming more efficient and climate-friendly over time? That's the promise of district heating or district energy.
![District heating: Why more communities are sharing a single heating system](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7113906.1707849981!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/markham-district-energy.jpg)
![Pipes are installed to carry water and heat through a district heating system in Markham, Ont. More communities are looking to such shared heating and cooling systems as one way to decarbonize buildings. Pipes in a trench run toward and away from the viewer, with excavators and pylons in the distance and highrise buildings on either side.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7113906.1707849981!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/markham-district-energy.jpg)
What if you never had to buy, fix or maintain a furnace or air conditioner to keep your home comfy? What if they worked even during power outages, and you could count on them becoming more efficient and climate-friendly over time? That's the promise of district heating or district energy.