How many times have you been on an underground train feeling extremely warm and short of breath when at the same time outside winter temperatures are below freezing?
The passengers of the London Underground experience this feeling at least once a day, every day of the week. The temperatures inside the busy trains get so high, that it probably took the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, two underground stops on the way to a conference before he realized that this energy should be utilized. Only a few months later he launched a new initiative, which has the aim to harness the heat of the trains and direct it towards the heating systems of Londoners.
The project is still in its planning stage, but the Mayor, together with Islington Council, UK Power Networks and Transport for London, are already getting very enthusiastic about it. Boris Johnson even claims that this initiative will help him reach his target of 60% reduction of the city’s carbon emissions.
Essentially, what he wants to do is to connect the ventilation systems of the underground with the thermal network of the city, which provides heating services to the residents. This project will not only significantly reduce the residential energy bills, but it will also get some of the pressure off the energy network, which sometimes cannot handle the high energy demand, especially in winter.
Commenting on the initiative, Johnson’s office released a statement emphasizing on the importance of generating sustainable energy. Over the past few years, London has had some of the coldest days in history, and the predictions indicate that the number of such days will only increase.
Therefore, providing heating to residents through a cost-effective and reliable power supply system that is purely supported by local sources, is of an essence. In addition, the Mayor and his environment and energy advisers are convinced that this initiative will stimulate innovation and create thousands of new jobs.
