Eco Factor: Swimming pools heated using waste heat from sewage.
On an average the water in the city pipes of Paris has a temperature of 68°F, which means that the energy used to heat water to that temperature is simply wasted. The local greening efforts are trying to make good use of the waste heat in sewer pipes, by using it to heat the public’s pools without using any additional electricity.
The process starts by attaching a series of stainless steel plates to the bottom of the sewer pipes, equipped with a special liquid that captures all the heat. This heated liquid can be used to warm something else, which in this case was the water in swimming pools.
The modifications do come at a hefty price tag of $650,000, but the developers are estimating that the system will recoup its cost in a decade. Moreover, it is expected to reduce the city’s energy costs by 24 percent and bring a drop of 66 percent in greenhouse gas emissions.
Via: Treehugger
