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I'd rather see this kind of thing heating water, which could then be used either for space heating or directly as hot water (in both cases, as input to a conven
by frobozz 11y ago
I'd rather see this kind of thing heating water, which could then be used either for space heating or directly as hot water (in both cases, as input to a conventional boiler, rather than being expected to provide all the heat itself). In places with large seasonal temperature variations, one typically still wants hot water for washing, etc. even when space heating would be undesirable.
To combat seasonal demand, last-mile, and access control issues, I would actually want to see this set up either as a district heating scheme* (e.g. in the large buildings built for mechanical telephone exchanges); or to heat water for municipal or club swimming pools.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_heating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_heating
- txdv 11y agoSome ex soviet countries have city central heating systems. I am from Vilnius, Lithuania, we had that in our old flat. Maybe it might be a good idea to create data centers around there? The only unsolved (as in I don't have an idea) problem is, what do we do with all the heated water in summer?
- Retric 11y agoNew York also has centeral heating for several buildings.
- sanswork 11y agoToronto has Enwave which does district heating with steam. The same company also does cooling by piping in cold water from the bottom of Lake Ontario.
- kozak 11y agoEven in summer there is hot water to be heated.
- frobozz 11y agoThat's the very reason for heating water instead of space, hot water is wanted year-round. It's used for washing both people and things; Swimming pools are normally heated, even just a little, above the cold water mains temperature. Hammams need hot water, even in the height of summer. Hot water can be stored, out of the way, in an insulated tank, for when it is required. Instead of providing fully-hot water to a few very nearby households, it can be used as a warm-water input to domestic boilers for a larger number of households over a larger area. Even in a self-contained domestic system, it would be better to pre-heat water going into the boiler, than to just be a radiator that heats the outside in summer.