Product category:
Heating Systems, Controls and Management
News Release from: Invisible Heating Systems | Subject: Road Energy System
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 June 2006
Scottish company in Road Energy First
First UK installation has taken place of a revolutionary Road Energy System capable of collecting energy directly from roads, airfields and parking lots to heat buildings and de-ice asphalt surfaces.
The first UK installation has taken place of a revolutionary Road Energy System capable of collecting energy directly from roads, airfields and parking lots to heat buildings and de-ice asphalt surfaces Invisible Heating Systems, a company that specialises in the design and supply of a range of energy efficient heating and cooling systems are the first company in the UK to install the system in their office carpark in Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 30 Jun 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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This method takes advantage of the excellent heat-absorption capacity of tarmac/asphalt to convert roads and driveways into giant solar panels created by energy stored in acquifers in the ground which can be tapped into when required.
Excess heat absorbed during the summer can be pumped into heating systems and roads during winter.
Conversely, stored cold water can be pumped into road and heating systems during summer to act as cooling.
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The combined use of this storage system with heat pumps and floor and wall heating achieves enhanced energy savings.
The carpark is an area of 400m sq and will provide more than enough heating for a 2 storey office and showroom facility of 1000m sq.
Benefits to roads and airport runways and benefits to the environment.
The lifespan of roads is prolonged about two-fold as they can be kept cool during the summer and frost-free during the winter fold thus reducing temperature-related fatigue and stress suffered by conventional pavements.
Resurfacing costs are typically halved as maintenanced is reduced accordingly.
Traffic jams are decreased as there's reduced road maintenance and bad weather doesn't impede drivers as badly.
Icy surfaces don't have to be sprayed with salt - an obvious cost saving for local authorities and an ideal solution for airports (it's not possible to spray airport runways with salt; road energy resolves the problem of ice on runways).
The road energy system has enormous environmental benefits; cutting CO2 emissions by 50%-90% compared to conventional heating systems.
What Road Energy Can Achieve.
Approximately 33m sq of tarmac is required to heat each 100m sq of a house.
Typically, an airport runway can heat 2500 homes.
It's been calculated in Holland where the system was designed that if the whole Dutch road system was converted to road energy, no further energy for house heating would be required.
A small area of tarmac (10 x40m ) can generate 108mW of energy per annum.
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