Questions & Answers
Thermal energy is one of our most basic human needs. From the moment we wake up and pull back the duvet to the moment we go to sleep we seek thermal comfort. Yet we take for granted how we obtain that comfort until the boiler or air conditioning unit breaks down! Globally, we use a vast amount of energy to provide that comfort.
Yes, in a major way. It is one of the largest sources of emissions globally, significantly more than aviation and deforestation. We really need to get on top of our emissions from thermal energy, and quickly, and we can.
It is a network that allows thermal energy to be collected and distributed to heat and cooling users.
They massively increase energy security by replacing volatile international fossil fuel pricing with locally sourced recycled heat. Thermal Energy Networks can also interact with power and water networks to form smart grids. Smart grids deliver benefits to each other that improve efficiency, reduce costs and further reduce carbon.
Yes, there a number of possible designs. In general there are 3 main types. Heat only networks, often in colder countries. Hybrid networks that provide heat and cooling. Many countries need hybrid networks. There are also cooling only networks, often most applicable in very hot countries. Finally, there are more specialist networks or parts of networks that provide heat and cooling to industrial facilities and infrastructure.
No. Most of us have seen movies set in New York with steam rising from the pavement. That steam is coming from New York’s century old steam network. Scandinavia also has many networks. What is new is concentrating on collecting recycled heat to distribute through the network. Previously networks burned fossil fuels in centralised plants. Moving to collection and distribution of recycled thermal energy is what reduces carbon emissions towards net zero.
At the moment, we do not collect and distribute existing thermal energy that is otherwise wasted. Instead, we generate thermal energy by burning fossil fuels. This generates local air pollution and significant global carbon emissions.
Lots of places! We can collect thermal energy made by humans in infrastructure such as data centres, underground metro systems, industrial plants, hospitals, in fact any facility that produces heat or cooling and currently wastes some of it. We can also collect thermal energy provided to us by nature, from the ground through geothermal energy and from the sun through solar energy.
No – thermal energy networks are a pragmatic, sensible and economic solution where thermal energy sources and buildings are reasonably close to each other. Where buildings are more remote, it is likely other solutions will be more sensible and economic, such as individual heat pumps, electric heating or green hydrogen delivered through the gas grid.
Each country needs to establish clear policy to ensure it is easy and cost effective for waste heat and cooling providers to sell thermal energy to networks and that there is effective policy and regulation to make building and operating networks easy and economic. It is possible to form this policy immediately on the basis of already available evidence.
Our heating and cooling needs are vast and growing. We need electricity for many things, including a massive increase in electric vehicles. If we can provide economic heating and cooling using as little electricity as possible, we can save that electricity for other things that do not have alternative solutions.
Green hydrogen is not yet available economically in large quantities. When it is, we will likely need to prioritise its use in harder to decarbonise sectors such as energy intensive industry, shipping and aviation. There will also be many millions of buildings worldwide in more remote locations that may benefit from a supply of green hydrogen for heating if it becomes available economically in sufficient quantities.
The cost of the network and the cost of the supply are both reasonable and economic provided the network is well designed and operated.
Yes, all the technology required has already been invented and has been used and tested already. New technology will further improve performance and bring down costs. In particular, the use of AI and machine learning means we can reduce network costs significantly whilst improving operating efficiency.
How much of the heating and cooling needs of a country could be provided by thermal energy networks?
In theory, all of those needs. However, thermal energy networks will be the pragmatic and economic solution in a lesser proportion of a country. It is likely it will be the right solution for approximately 20-50% of total need, depending on the particular climate and context of a country.
Yes – it is one of the best understood and least difficult system transformations available to us. Bearing in mind the vast emissions profile of the thermal sector at present, it is also one of the most urgent transformations. We just need to transfer learning and design and development capability and build sector capacity in the right places as quickly as we can. There is no reason why we can’t do that.
Thermal energy is one of our most basic human needs. From the moment we wake up and pull back the duvet to the moment we go to sleep we seek thermal comfort. Yet we take for granted how we obtain that comfort until the boiler or air conditioning unit breaks down! Globally, we use a vast amount of energy to provide that comfort.
Yes, in a major way. It is one of the largest sources of emissions globally, significantly more than aviation and deforestation. We really need to get on top of our emissions from thermal energy, and quickly, and we can.
It is a network that allows thermal energy to be collected and distributed to heat and cooling users.
They massively increase energy security by replacing volatile international fossil fuel pricing with locally sourced recycled heat. Thermal Energy Networks can also interact with power and water networks to form smart grids. Smart grids deliver benefits to each other that improve efficiency, reduce costs and further reduce carbon.
Yes, there a number of possible designs. In general there are 3 main types. Heat only networks, often in colder countries. Hybrid networks that provide heat and cooling. Many countries need hybrid networks. There are also cooling only networks, often most applicable in very hot countries. Finally, there are more specialist networks or parts of networks that provide heat and cooling to industrial facilities and infrastructure.
No. Most of us have seen movies set in New York with steam rising from the pavement. That steam is coming from New York’s century old steam network. Scandinavia also has many networks. What is new is concentrating on collecting recycled heat to distribute through the network. Previously networks burned fossil fuels in centralised plants. Moving to collection and distribution of recycled thermal energy is what reduces carbon emissions towards net zero.
At the moment, we do not collect and distribute existing thermal energy that is otherwise wasted. Instead, we generate thermal energy by burning fossil fuels. This generates local air pollution and significant global carbon emissions.
Lots of places! We can collect thermal energy made by humans in infrastructure such as data centres, underground metro systems, industrial plants, hospitals, in fact any facility that produces heat or cooling and currently wastes some of it. We can also collect thermal energy provided to us by nature, from the ground through geothermal energy and from the sun through solar energy.
No – thermal energy networks are a pragmatic, sensible and economic solution where thermal energy sources and buildings are reasonably close to each other. Where buildings are more remote, it is likely other solutions will be more sensible and economic, such as individual heat pumps, electric heating or green hydrogen delivered through the gas grid.
Each country needs to establish clear policy to ensure it is easy and cost effective for waste heat and cooling providers to sell thermal energy to networks and that there is effective policy and regulation to make building and operating networks easy and economic. It is possible to form this policy immediately on the basis of already available evidence.
Our heating and cooling needs are vast and growing. We need electricity for many things, including a massive increase in electric vehicles. If we can provide economic heating and cooling using as little electricity as possible, we can save that electricity for other things that do not have alternative solutions.
Green hydrogen is not yet available economically in large quantities. When it is, we will likely need to prioritise its use in harder to decarbonise sectors such as energy intensive industry, shipping and aviation. There will also be many millions of buildings worldwide in more remote locations that may benefit from a supply of green hydrogen for heating if it becomes available economically in sufficient quantities.
The cost of the network and the cost of the supply are both reasonable and economic provided the network is well designed and operated.
Yes, all the technology required has already been invented and has been used and tested already. New technology will further improve performance and bring down costs. In particular, the use of AI and machine learning means we can reduce network costs significantly whilst improving operating efficiency.
How much of the heating and cooling needs of a country could be provided by thermal energy networks?
In theory, all of those needs. However, thermal energy networks will be the pragmatic and economic solution in a lesser proportion of a country. It is likely it will be the right solution for approximately 20-50% of total need, depending on the particular climate and context of a country.
Yes – it is one of the best understood and least difficult system transformations available to us. Bearing in mind the vast emissions profile of the thermal sector at present, it is also one of the most urgent transformations. We just need to transfer learning and design and development capability and build sector capacity in the right places as quickly as we can. There is no reason why we can’t do that.