#heating

[reasonsforhope]

"Heat stored underground in caverns can be set aside in Finland’s summer months to be re-used during frigid winters thanks to a state-of-the-art ‘seasonal energy’ storage facility.

Slated for construction this summer near Helsinki, it will be the largest in the world by all standards and contain enough thermal energy to heat a medium-sized city all winter.

Thermal exchange heating systems, like those built underground, or domestic heat pumps, are seen as the most effective way available of reducing the climate-impact of home heating and cooling.

Their function relies on natural forces or energy recycling to cool down or heat up water and then using it to radiate hot or cold energy into a dwelling.

In Vantaa, Finland’s fourth largest city neighboring the capital of Helsinki, the ambitious Varanto seasonal energy storage project plans to store cheap and environmental friendly waste heat from datacenters, cooling processes, and waste-to-energy assets in underground caverns where it can be used to heat buildings via the district heating network whenever it is needed.

In Finland and other Nordic countries, the heat consumption varies significantly between seasons. Heat consumption in the summertime is only about one-tenth of the peak load consumption during the cold winter months.

Varanto will utilize underground caverns equal in space to two Maddison Square Gardens—over a million cubic meters—filled with water heated by this waste heat and pressure that will allow the water to reach temperatures of up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit without the water boiling or evaporating.

“The world is undergoing a huge energy transition. Wind and solar power have become vital technologies in the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy,” says Vantaa Energy CEO Jukka Toivonen.

“The biggest challenge of the energy transition so far has been the inability to store these intermittent forms of energy for later use. Unfortunately, small-scale storage solutions, such as batteries or accumulators, are not sufficient; large, industrial-scale storage solutions are needed. Varanto is an excellent example of this, and we are happy to set an example for the rest of the world.” ...

“Two 60-MW electric boilers will be built in conjunction with Varanto,” adds Toivonen. “These boilers will be used to produce heat from renewable electricity when electricity is abundant and cheap. Our heat-producing system will work like a hybrid car: alternating between electricity and other forms of production, depending on what is most advantageous and efficient at the time.”

... Construction of the storage facility’s entrance is expected to start in summer 2024, while it could be operational as early as 2028."

-via Good News Network, April 12, 2024. Video via VantaanEnergia, March 10, 2024

[whats-in-a-sentence]

As shown in figure 13.58, this is an enormous chemical reactor in which heating, reduction and purification occur together.

"Chemistry" 2e - Blackman, A., Bottle, S., Schmid, S., Mocerino, M., Wille, U.

[mindblowingscience]

As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy-intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren't sustainable. Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, a team reporting in Nano Letters has developed an energy-efficient, cost-effective coating. The material could keep buildings cool in the summers—or warm in the winters—without additional energy. Many desert creatures have specialized adaptations to allow them to survive in harsh environments with large daily temperature shifts. For example, the Namaqua chameleon of southwestern Africa alters its color to regulate its body temperature as conditions change. The critters appear light gray in hot temperatures to reflect sunlight and keep cool, then turn a dark brown once they cool down to absorb heat instead. This unique ability is a naturally occurring example of passive temperature control—a phenomenon that could be adapted to create more energy-efficient buildings. But many systems, such as cooling paints or colored steel tiles, are only designed to keep buildings either cool or warm, and can't switch between "modes." Inspired by the Namaqua chameleon, Fuqiang Wang and colleagues wanted to create a color-shifting coating that would adapt as outside temperatures fluctuate.

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[vintageadsmakemehappy]

1959 Honeywell Thermostats

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Prince Edward Island has announced a plan to increase access to free heat pumps for Islanders.

In a Wednesday news release, the province says residents with an annual household income under $100,000 may be eligible for a free heat pump.

The province has also removed property value limits to make more Islanders eligible.

The main goal of the plan is to lower the usage of home heating oil in the province.

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[walzerjahrhundert]

Stove

circa 1900

[misforgotten2]

But all those pesky electrons just get everywhere and there's nothing you do about it.

Look - February 21st - 1967

[lifeofloon]

Who needs a heater when you have these two

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

Didn’t someone post this as a piss take on here a couple of days ago? And yet now we’re here.

[huariqueje]

Curtain   -  Nino Ramsby

Swedish, b. 1972  -

oil   , 40 x 50 cm.

[forestduck]

[seaofgoldensand]

w w w w w wifey??? 🥴

[ramenreptiles]

HEADS UP TO HALOGEN/INCANDESCENT BULB USERS

If you use these bulbs to heat your reptiles you'll want to look into alternatives.

I believe pet stores will still have their branded bulbs, but they will of course be more expensive. Petco charges $9 for one 60W bulb that costs $2 each in a regular incandescent bulb 12 pack. 🙃

I've personally used halogens for years, since it more closely mimics the infrared radiation of the sun (See my post on that here). For now, it looks like unfortunately Amazon may be the best option in the meantime.

[pointless-letters]

You want to drive for 500 miles with the air conditioning and the heating on at the same time?

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Saskatchewan government says its natural gas utility is to stop collecting the carbon levy as of Monday from residential customers. The move comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exempted those who use home heating oil from paying the levy, mostly benefiting residents in Atlantic Canada. Saskatchewan asked for the exemption to cover all other forms of heating, but Ottawa denied the request. In response, the province said it would stop collecting the charge at the start of 2024.

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Tagging @politicsofcanada