The EU-funded WEDISTRICT project establishes sites to demonstrate innovative 100% fossil free heating and cooling solutions for new and existing district heating and cooling systems. But some of the sites have run into permitting problems with local authorities and stakeholders. In Poland, the project had to be withdrawn. In Spain, it had to relocate to a site in the University of CĂłrdoba. As Khatia Shamanauri and Fintan Burke at ESCI explain, … [Read more...]
District Heating: Molten Salt boilers beat Water for storing intermittent Wind & Solar power
District heating networks, an important part of the energy transition for buildings, need a way of storing intermittent wind and solar power. But water tanks have limits: they take up a lot of space, and have a low thermal energy storage density (limited by the 100°C boiling point). Molten salts have a much higher storage density (regular table salt has a melting point of 801°C), but a melting point that is too high is not safe where ordinary … [Read more...]