Let's Look To Sweden For A Solution

[Jcrowley]

You don't need a furnace to keep warm
Oil `too expensive' for home heating in Sweden
Oct. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM
CHRISTOPHER HUME

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN—The residents of this city know about winter only too well. But fewer than one in 10 homes here has a furnace. No, it's not because the Swedes like freezing in the dark. The reason is district heating.

It's hardly a new concept — even in Toronto it exists — but the difference is one of scale. More than 90 per cent of apartments and houses in this city, the second largest in Sweden, are on district heating. And that number is growing all the time.

"We built the system during the past 30 years," says Lars Holmquist, an analyst with Goteborg Energi, a city-owned corporation that operates the power grid and the district heating system. "The direct advantage of district heating is that we don't have to use fossil fuels. District heating is the main reason why Sweden has reduced CO2 emissions while the rest of the world has increased.

"We have achieved a 99 per cent reduction in sulphur emissions from 1973 to 2005, a 90 per cent reduction in NO2 and a 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions." Instead of furnaces, Swedes have heat converters. Houses and apartment buildings are connected to underground pipes that circulate hot water throughout the system.
The water is warmed through a variety of means. In Gothenburg, one-quarter comes from an incineration plant that burns local waste.

More:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1160560212817&call_pageid=971358637177

The water can be warmed through a variety of means, below are two examples of the use of large-scale solar energy plants. Large solar energy plants that contribute to district domestic hot water supplies are now converting the sceptics and persuading them that significant economic and operational advantages can be obtained. In Denmark and several other European countries, an increasing number of large central solar heating systems are being built.


Kungälv Energi AB, solar heating plant of 10.017 m2, in Sweden.


The world's largest solar energy plant for central heating, 17.081 m2, Marstal, on the island of Ærø, Denmark.

[Hav]

1. .

I don't know about the numbers from other countries, but for Sweden they surely sound impressive:
"We have achieved a 99 per cent reduction in sulphur emissions from 1973 to 2005, a 90 per cent reduction in NO2 and a 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions."

I guess that we would be facing less problems if all countries had seen similar developments.

[Greyhound]

17. We had a President that tried to implement just this type of forward

thinking solution to our energy problems. We rejected him in favor of an actor that told us whatever we wanted to hear.

[nam78_two]

2. k&r/nt

>>In Gothenburg, one-quarter comes from an incineration plant that burns local waste.

If I understand that right, thats exactly the kind of thing we need more of in this country.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Yah - because it's OBVIOUS that what works for a country 1/30....

of our size and homogenously populated will work for us.

Sheesh.

[Jcrowley]

6. That makes no sense

The diversity, or lack of, within the population has no bearing on the needs or possibilities for heating. So let's use just one example of a state that is the size of Sweden, say the state of Washington or Nebraska, I'm just going off the top of my head here I don't know the actual geographical dimensions, could one of those states use some version of this system or employ it partially? Well it would be not only easy to implement, if there were the political will, but a gift to the future generations. And if it could be done in that state could it not be implemented in others, albeit in a different fashion to suit different geographical arrangements,constraints etc.? Have you looked into what is being done in Geneva, Frankfurt and numerous other cities in Europe with the various waste-into- energy programs? Are you suggesting that American cities couldn't- no shouldn't- be doing the same because of some demographic characteristic unique to America?

American cities couldn't be doing this because they are more diverse? That makes no sense:

The Swedes are also promoting an underground waste-collection system, Envac, which eliminates the need for garbage trucks. It allows residents to drop off garbage and recycling matter when it's convenient, rather than depending on pickup . Already, 70,000 Malmo residents use Envac.

The new community uses 100 per cent locally renewable energy, which means wind turbines, photovoltaic cells, solar collectors and an innovative system that includes 10 aquifers which store water, hot and cold.

[nam78_two]

7. ?!!!

I take it that you have already researched this and have facts that it cannot work for this country :eyes:?

Is it OBVIOUS to you it won't work? Do you have alternate ideas as to what would work :shrug:?

Its a positive idea and well worth looking into. The country is so inefficient with regard to energy, it doesn't make sense to rip good ideas, while complacently heading off the cliff the way we are doing right now.

[Jcrowley]

8. This could be implemented in numerous places across the US

of course not as some overall panacea but as part of the solution to our energy dilemma. Now we must use much less energy than we do in all aspects of our culture but some of these various "alternative" heating arrangements go a long way in reducing our use of fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

District Heating and Cooling (DHC) has proven to be a major contributor to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction in many member countries and recognition of DHC's importance is growing. In fact, many countries where it is established are renewing their commitment to DHC as they find new ways to use the technology to reduce environmental impacts. DHC facilitates linkages between supplies that are environmentally desirable and end users that could not otherwise make use of those energy sources.

District Heating not only offers excellent opportunities for reducing environmental pollution, but also for achieving the goal of saving energy. It is an extremely flexible technology which can make use of any fuel including the utilisation of waste energy, renewables and, most significantly, the application of combined heat and power (CHP).

It is by means of these integrated solutions that very substantial progress towards environmental targets, such as those emerging from Kyoto can be made.

http://www.iea-dhc.org/

Here's to a cleaner nest for our children's children's children...

:toast:

Biomass Heating in the U.S. Northeast
 
Vermont and Maine are the two states that have been most active in bioenergy development. Vermont has a long-standing policy to promote the use of local, renewable forest resources. The state has 28 schools heated with biomass, principally woodchips. Each community has its own local school board. History indicates that they support the purchase of woodchips from local sources as both an economical and a reliable form of energy. People also like to support businesses in the local community.
 
Vermont also has two biomass-fired power plants, one in Burlington and the other in Montpelier. The Montpelier district energy steam plant heats 16 buildings comprising 46 453 square metres (500 000 square feet) in downtown Montpelier. Interest in new biomass-fired installations has increased since the rise in fossil fuel prices in 2000.

http://www.canren.gc.ca/renew_ene/index.asp?CaID=47&PgID=958

[nam78_two]

10. Very cool

Yes I have a great fondness for these kill-two-birds with one stone measures.
Obviously its not a panacea for everything but we are so far from being in any way efficient or clean that every little bit helps.

What often gets to me is the senseless waste-for example I was recently reading a report on how leaving lights on all night in many buildings of medium height: a) causes the death of up to 150,000 birds a year, b) is completely wasteful and c) the bulding supervisors can offer up no explanation for why it is even done...they just offer up "well we always did it".

Of course there will always be some "sensible", "pragmatic" libertarian to offer up the usual argument about the lack of economic feasibility of options involving any measure of conservation, how its much more sensible to look at anything other than conservation or even cutting waste and so on. Often they don't seem to offer up any alternate solutions. Its just not "that one" :eyes:.
I doubt that this would change their minds but the Guardian recently reported on how lack of action on global warming could result in the loss of trillions of dollars. Yes the report was put together by Friends of the Earth and thus in their eyes is probably "biased" but it was based on legitimate scientific and economic papers:

http://english.people.com.cn/200610/15/eng20061015_311892.html
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11444

[Jcrowley]

11. Sometimes I wonder

if those "pragmatists" libertarians and so many others who use that "practicality" disguise really want to see any truly trans formative ideas and meaningful, life enhancing changes take hold. Possibly they are the real misanthropes and the idea that the many changes that really could be implemented almost immediately, if the 800 pound gorilla(s) would just get off our backs, upsets their worldview and threatens not only their perceptions but also their power.

As always I learn from your words. The link at the bottom of your posts on factory farming has alot of useful info, thanks.

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."

"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal."

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

[nam78_two]

12. Nope they aren't ordinary misanthropes

Personally I think they are Luciferians living out the Carpocritian ideal :evilgrin:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpocrates

Kidding aside, I think they reflect the "me first" zeitgeist of affluent nations in this century. Simple solutions requiring no personal sacrifice, only solutions based on capitalism/technology and so on...

>>As always I learn from your words.

Right back at ya :toast: :yourock:!


Btw you seem to be reaching the 1000 post mark-you do know that you are expected to buy EVERYONE on DU a round of beer right :evilgrin: ?

[Jcrowley]

13. Wait a minute

I didn't, uh let me see, oh damn you're right. As always I forgot to read the fine print. And I thought the house was buying. Hope so as my pockets are a bit empty, lately I been sidling up to long-forgotten friends for that last round. Remember me?

Kidding aside, you were kidding right?

"While there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free." -Eugene Debs

[Greyhound]

18. Somebody pissed in your cereal this morning? n/t

[jpak]

4. K&R

You should cross-post this in the Energy and Environment Forum too...

(longer shelflife)

:toast:

[breakaleg]

5. This method does work and is great for allergy sufferers.

[Nimrod2005]

9. One of my favorite countries in the world....Great people too.

Smart and tolarent...nt

[progressoid]

14. Damn Socialists!!!!

Oops, forgot to add: K&R!

[Quantess]

15. Someone needs to stop these damn Swedes.

They are preventing End Times from happening.
Look, Sweden, can't you see we are busy destroying the earth?! You aren't helping Armageddon get here any sooner.

[hunter]

16. And this too: "...supply side economies are less prosperous..."

"Scientific empirical evidence now available to prove that supply side economies are less prosperous than welfare states."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2405025&mesg_id=2405025

The U.S. is not a first world nation.

[Make7]

19. I don't understand.

How do the oil & gas companies and/or electric companies make money over the long term with such an idea?

- Make7

[Quantess]

20. They don't. Dang it, I knew there was a catch. (no text)