SHARC Energy - Wastewater Energy Transfer (WET) for Urban Heating & Cooling

Vancouver (Canada) · United States · United Kingdom · 2010 · SHARC Energy Systems (SHARC International Systems Inc.) — Vancouver, BC, Canada (founded 2010), with a European subsidiary in Leicester.

False Creek NEU (Vancouver, operational since 2010): grown 300%+ to serve 600,000 m² including Science World and Emily Carr University. Now the largest WET system in North America (9.8 MW). Demonstrates district heating decarbonization using existing sewer infrastructure — no new land needed. DC Water HQ (Washington DC, 2018): LEED Platinum building toured by the US House Appropriations Subcommittee (March 2021). A committee member stated on record: 'I have never seen a technology that could have as positive of an impact on energy as what I have seen at the DC Water HQ.' This congressional endorsement materially boosted WET's credibility and US market access. Systemic significance: The Alexandria Life Science Campus (Seattle, 1.6M sq ft, est. 2025) and the Alafia project in Brooklyn (NY State's $1.4B Vital Brooklyn Initiative) demonstrate WET's reach into large-scale commercial and equity-focused affordable housing. Both the US IRA (2022) and Canada's Green Industrial Facilities Programme now fund WET projects, removing key financial barriers to replication.

Highlight

Urban sewage as a round-the-clock renewable thermal energy source — displacing fossil fuels for heating and cooling in buildings and districts, with verified GHG and water savings across more than 20 operational projects.

Extended description

• Context and problem: Buildings account for a substantial share of urban energy consumption and GHG emissions, with heating and cooling among the largest loads. Conventional systems burn fossil fuels or consume electricity for thermal purposes, while wasting two major energy flows: (1) hot water discharged into sewer systems by residential, commercial and industrial users — which retains significant thermal energy — and (2) the fresh water consumed by cooling towers to reject unwanted heat. SHARC's core insight is that these waste flows can be intercepted and converted into useful energy.

• How it works: The SHARC system is installed in a building's mechanical room or energy center and intercepts wastewater from the building's drains or from a municipal sewer pipe. Step 1 — Filtration: Raw wastewater passes through SHARC's patented, high-volume filtration system (no pre-screening required), which removes solids without clogging. Step 2 — Heat extraction: The filtered wastewater flows through a custom ultra-high-efficiency heat exchanger that transfers its thermal energy to a clean condenser-water loop. Step 3 — Heat pump amplification: A heat pump (supplied by third parties) amplifies the extracted heat to useful supply temperatures for space heating or domestic hot water. Step 4 — Cooling: In cooling mode, unwanted building heat is rejected into the wastewater stream instead of into a cooling tower, saving fresh water. The system is quiet, virtually odorless (sealed design), remotely monitored, and BMS-compatible (Modbus and BACnet). Expected lifespan: more than 25 years.

• Product lines: The SHARC Series handles large-scale applications — multi-family residential (350+ units), commercial buildings, and district energy networks. Models range from the SHARC 660 (100–550 GPM, up to 0.73 MW thermal) to the SHARC 880 (500–1,200 GPM, 1.6 MW thermal). Multiple units can be installed in parallel for unlimited scaling. The PIRANHA Series targets smaller buildings (50–350 residential units), hotels, and boutique commercial applications.

• Scalability and complementary technologies: SHARC systems pair particularly well with geothermal loops, acting as a thermal buffer that stabilizes ground temperature and can reduce borehole requirements by up to 50%, cutting geothermal project costs significantly. The company also offers an 'Energy as a Service' (EaaS) model, removing upfront capital barriers for building owners. In the US, WET systems are eligible for investment tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In Canada, the Green Industrial Facilities and Manufacturing Program provides additional funding pathways.

• Market context: SHARC operates in the thermal energy network (TEN) and district energy market, which is growing rapidly as cities mandate net-zero buildings and phase out fossil-fuel heating. European regulatory pressure (e.g., Germany's goal to connect 100,000 buildings/year to district heating) and North American climate legislation are creating significant market tailwinds. SHARC is one of the few companies worldwide with commercially deployed, at-scale WET products and a replicable business model.

Demonstrated metrics

Product specifications (SHARC 880 per unit):

• Wastewater flow: 500–1,200 GPM (31–75 L/s)

• Max thermal output: 5,399 MBH (1.6 MW thermal)

• System lifespan: 25+ years

False creek neighbourhood energy utility (Vancouver, BC — flagship project):

• 5 SHARC 880 units installed (2 in March 2017, 3 in July 2024)

• Current capacity: 9.8 MW — the largest WET system in North America

• Buildings served: 600,000 m² (6.4M ft²) of residential, commercial and institutional space

• More than 300% growth since launch in 2010

• Target: 23M ft² (2M m²) served, 100% renewable energy before 2030

Dc water hq (Washington, DC — commercial flagship, publicly audited):

• SHARC 660 system, 151,300 ft² LEED Platinum building

• Commissioned: August 2018

• Energy transferred: 6,712 MMBTU/year

• Natural gas avoided: 2,320 therms/year

• GHG reduction: 12.6 metric tonns CO₂ e/year (equivalent to taking 2.7 cars off the road or planting 573 trees)

• Water saved: 1.5 million gallons/year (cooling tower offset)

Alexandria center for life science (Seattle, WA — in commissioning):

• SHARC 880, 1.6 million ft² life-science mega-campus

• 70% of campus building heat supplied by city sewer wastewater

• Projected 99% carbon reduction vs. conventional lab heating

Real impact

• False Creek NEU (Vancouver, operational since 2010) has grown by more than 300% to serve 600,000 m², including Science World and Emily Carr University. Now the largest WET system in North America (9.8 MW). It demonstrates district-heating decarbonization using existing sewer infrastructure — no new land needed.

• DC Water HQ (Washington, DC, 2018): LEED Platinum building toured by the US House Appropriations Subcommittee (March 2021). A committee member stated on record: 'I have never seen a technology that could have as positive of an impact on energy as what I have seen at the DC Water HQ.' This congressional endorsement materially boosted WET's credibility and US market access.

• Systemic significance: The Alexandria Life Science Campus (Seattle, 1.6M sq ft, est. 2025) and the Alafia project in Brooklyn (part of New York State's $1.4B Vital Brooklyn Initiative) demonstrate WET's reach into large-scale commercial development and equity-focused affordable housing. Both the US IRA (2022) and Canada's Green Industrial Facilities and Manufacturing Program now fund WET projects, removing key financial barriers to replication.

Implementation location & date

• Canada: False Creek NEU, Vancouver BC (2010, expanded 2024); Wall Centre Central Park; leləm̓ living; Lake Louise Inn, Alberta.

• USA: DC Water HQ, Washington DC (2018); National Western Center, Denver; Alexandria Life Science Campus, Seattle WA (est. 2025); Alafia, Brooklyn NY; Haverstraw NY.

• UK: Borders College, Scotland.

• 20+ clients total across North America and Europe.

Co-benefits

Positive:

• Freshwater conservation: 1.5M gallons/year saved at DC Water HQ by eliminating cooling tower evaporation.

• Circular urban metabolism: waste sewage converted into productive energy input.

• Weather-independent energy resilience: available around the clock, regardless of climate or grid state.

• LEED certification: WET contributions helped DC Water HQ achieve LEED Platinum.

• Geothermal synergy: can reduce borehole requirements by up to 50%.

• Energy equity: EaaS model and IRA tax credits extend access to affordable housing.

Limitations:

• High upfront capital cost; EaaS model available as alternative).

• Requires high, continuous wastewater flow — best suited to dense, high-demand buildings.

• Needs a separate heat pump (not supplied by SHARC) for full system performance.

Similar cases elsewhere

Sewer heat recovery is established in Europe: Hammarby Sjöstad (Stockholm), Oslo District Heating, Swiss municipal systems (Zurich, Basel) and UK utility pilots (Scottish Water, Thames Water). King County (Seattle, WA) enacted public-private legislation enabling commercial WET as a model for US municipalities. SHARC differentiates itselfthrough packaged, commercially available WET products with patented filtration — targeting buildings, not only treatment plants.

Awards & recognition

• Corporate Knights Future 50 (2023) — listed among Canada's 50 fastest-growing green companies in Corporate Knights' second annual ranking of climate entrepreneurs.

• DC Water HQ: LEED Platinum certification (February 2021) — awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The building is described as 'the greenest building in North America.

Sources

• Official SHARC website: https://www.sharcenergy.com/