Solar Collecting Roads Heat Buildings in The Netherlands

Great idea!
Stuart
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Written by A Siegel

Friday, 07 March 2008

Solar is a highly efficient for heating water. Combine it with underground storage, and a year-round system can be created where the system can cover heating requirements in the winter and cooling in the summer. The Dutch company Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV has taken this concept and moved it a step forward with the Road Energy System^® (RES).

Rather than putting tubes on a rooftop, RES lays the collection system within concrete -- think the black asphalt of a road or runway. The piping connects to undeground storage areas. Remember the last time you walked on black asphalt on a sunny August day and you understand the heat being transferred into the water in the pipes. This water is then transferred into the storage area. On demand, in cold weather, the hot water is used to heat buildings and to keep the road above freezing. After cooling, the water is moved into cold storage to provide air conditioning for summer months. A year round solar/geothermal heating/cooling system for both the road and buildings. The renewable combo greatly reduces electricity requirements (and thus pollution) and the cooling/heating of the road reduces maintenance requirements (and lowers/eliminates deicing and plowing requirements in winter).

And it is deployed. "Solar Energy collected from a 200-yard stretch of road and a small parking lot helps heat a 70-unit four-story apartment building in the northern village of Avenhorn. An industrial park of some 160,000 square feet in the nearby city of Hoorn is kept warm in winter with the help of heat stored during the summer from 36,000 square feet of pavement. The runways of a Dutch air force base in the south supply heat for its hangar."

Comments

Don’t Let An Organic Egg Fool You

We all know about the egg industry’s appalling record in terms of environmental and animal welfare management. Now, let’s not kid ourselves: overcooking eggs does not address the risk of salmonella infections. Neither does buying “organic” eggs. Salmonella is but the tip of the iceberg. Our responsibility, as consumers, is to pay close attention to the origin of the eggs we buy and to educate ourselves about the producer’s operations. First off, don’t let an organic egg fool you: “organic” refers to the quality of the feed given to the hens but says nothing about their condition of living. Which leads us to the second essential point: a battery-cage egg is not a cage-free egg is not a free-range egg is not a pasture-raised egg. These classifications have real implications for our health and the environment. To find out why, check out Rodale.com editor Leah Zerbe’s cue cards . The great news is that the consumer is not alone anymore when having to choose between eg...

Matava is Fiji's first Resort member of The International Ecotourism Society - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava recognised as TIES first ever resort member in the Fiji Islands Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco-Adventure Resort is proud to announce that we are Fiji's first Resort Business member of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) . As the world's oldest and largest international ecotourism association, TIES seeks to be the global source of knowledge and advocacy uniting communities, conservation, and sustainable travel. A common question asked is what EXACTLY is ecotourism? Ecotourism is: " Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people ." (TIES, 1990) TIES promotes ecotourism, which is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people," by: Creating an international network of individuals, institutions and the tourism industry; Educating tourists and tourism professionals; and Influencing the tourism indus...

Grow Your Own Food - Promoting Healthy Eating Through Home Food Gardening

Food and nutrition security is becoming a threat in Fiji due to impacts of climate change and frequent natural disasters. Soaring food prices are emerging, and are affecting our households especially the already vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities. Fiji is making a stand to prepare for the ill-effects of climate change and natural disasters and ensure that our families and communities are resilient, and are food and nutrition secure. The Grow your Own Food Booklet is intended to provide avid gardeners, families and communities simple and practical ways on establishing home food gardens, useful gardening techniques, and organic practic- es. It details caring for your garden and growing fresh vegetables, fruits and starchy staples for household consumption. All you need to know about growing fresh crops is available on the Grow your Own Food Booklet. Follow the simple tips and ways of keeping garden crops healthy. The Booklet also provides a technique for container gardening....

Organic Gardening and Farming in Fiji

Search This Blog