Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
dependent on renewable sources by 2040, which will be helped by tapping into the
Bavarian Molasse, a large reservoir 3000 ft underground that has water tempera-
tures above 80 C.
Since many European countries, such as the U.K, and Ireland, have only a hand-
ful of such district schemes, it means that only about 9 % of the total European
Union's urban heating needs is currently obtained in this way. The technology is
proven, so it would be relatively easy and financial feasible to double this figure
in the rich countries, for it has been estimated that the costs of the pipes and other
installation pay for themselves within 3 or 4 years, with cheaper heating bills for
householders and huge savings on imported fuels. As always, the development of
this system depends on political will. One of the reasons why the system has proved
so popular in Denmark in particular is because of early legislation to support such
schemes, as well as its co-operative tradition. For example, a 1979 act made munici-
palities responsible for urban heating supply planning, and which enabled groups of
consumers, as well as municipalities, to establish co-operatives to establish district
energy companies, which were required to return any profit to consumers, and to
search for, and to implement energy savings.
6.5.2
Smart Systems
The development of so-called 'smart systems' technologies are also proving useful
in increasing sustainability by helping address several problems of existing prac-
tices. In the case of water supply, meters are increasingly being installed in houses
to make residents aware of their water use, which frequently leads to reduced use,
complementing the low flush toilets and other devices described in a previous chap-
ter. In the case of electricity a key objective is to reduce demand fluctuations in a
day, for at peak demand times more power has to be generated, which means higher
prices, while the back-up generators for these peak loads are idle for most of the
rest of the day. New 'smart metres' which can be installed in houses show the costs
and usage of electricity at any time. They allow time-differential use of energy, so
that consumers are able to reduce demand at peak time when prices are high, saving
money and lessening the load on the supply system. A type of smart-grid system is
being tested in Napierville (Chicago) where almost 60 thousand smart meters have
been installed in buildings in recent years, which are designed to improve reliability
and consumer's control over energy use, which is reducing demand at peak times,
thereby lowering the costs of generation (NP). The installation of automatic heating
regulation systems in cold or winter climates, or air conditioning in hot climates, is
another 'smart' approach. These devices reduce heating or cooling levels when the
house is empty—which is most of the day with families with two or more work-
ers and school children—and turn on power some time before people return from
work. Increasingly these systems are being adapted so that they can be activated
by commands from mobile phones, which may also turn on other systems such as
cookers. Among the additional smart grid developments are power lines that allow
the two-way flow of electricity, rather than the usual uni-directional flow system of
