District Energy & Thermal Network Equipment worked example

Boiler Capacity at 99% expected boiler availability: a worked example

This scenario runs the boiler capacity calculation on the strong side: 99% expected boiler availability, with every other input held at its documented default. Use it when boiler capacity in district energy and thermal network equipment is being asked to take on more work and you need to know if there is room.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Rated boiler thermal capacity: 4 MW or MMBtu/hr per boiler (unchanged)
  • Boilers available for dispatch: 480 boilers (unchanged)
  • Expected boiler availability: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 90)
  • Usable capacity credit: 97 % (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Installed boiler capacity = rated boiler thermal capacity × boilers available for dispatch) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,844 MW or MMBtu/hr for dependable boiler capacity, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,920 MW or MMBtu/hr for installed boiler capacity.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 19.2 MW or MMBtu/hr for boiler availability capacity loss.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 57.02 MW or MMBtu/hr for boiler derating or reserve loss.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where expected boiler availability sits at 90% and the headline result is 1,676 MW or MMBtu/hr, this scenario comes in 10% above the baseline at 1,844 MW or MMBtu/hr.
  • Use it during heating-season capacity planning, N-1 reserve studies, or when evaluating whether to add or retire a boiler in a central plant. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Dependable boiler capacity: 1,844 MW or MMBtu/hr (headline result)
  • Installed boiler capacity: 1,920 MW or MMBtu/hr
  • Boiler availability capacity loss: 19.2 MW or MMBtu/hr
  • Boiler derating or reserve loss: 57.02 MW or MMBtu/hr

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Boiler Capacity calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.