Think of this system as a massive heat exchanger. Pipes underneath the asphalt carry water that is heated during the day from solar energy and then stored underground for later use. When the weather turns cold, this very same heated water forms the basis for the heating of buildings.You think it’s a joke? Think better because a Dutch company called Ooms Avenhorn has already succesfully tested the system in a village and a military airport to heat buildings and a hangar respectively. And not only that, the hot water is also used in winter to keep the road ice free, while cold water stored for summer can be used equally effectively for cooling! According to Ooms, emissions are cut by half, while salt for the road becomes unecessary.
In fact the sytem involves absolutely nothing complicated, it is a matter of simple thermodynamics, measuring temperatures reliably, storing in places with good insulation and using the right pumps. And since there is enough heat absorbed in Holland, think of all the solar energy that could be collected from a road here in Greece! But since the local sport is digging roads to install or repair water/sewage pipes, electricity lines, telephony lines and God knows what else, I am not beting on seeing such a system here soon…
Link : Electronrun
