4 ms·
A bit tangential, but New York City has an operating steam system that's still widely used by commercial customers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City
by freefal 5y ago
A bit tangential, but New York City has an operating steam system that's still widely used by commercial customers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_steam_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_steam_system
- antupis 5y agoDistrict heating is pretty normal at northern Europe altought now we use mostly water.
- pinot 5y agoDistrict heating with water is vastly more safe, I imagine that's why its used. I remember my apartment in germany had a "Heat" meter on the water line, always wondered how that worked.
- krab 5y agoWe have a calorimeter - it should count volume of hot water times the temperature difference. I heard it's not very precise.
- m4rtink 5y agoThe district heating in Brno here in Czech Republic is in the process of converting from steam to hot water, mainly due to cost savings. Modern isolated hot water pipes loose a negligible ammount of heat in transfer while there was green grass growing on top of the old buried steam pipes even in winter. That and the old textile industry that directly used steam no longer exists.
- Naga 5y agoDowntown Ottawa has a similar steam system too, although I think it's mostly government buildings instead of private, commercial buildings that are hooked up to it.
- radicaldreamer 5y agoSan Francisco has one too, used primarily for heating buildings https://clearwaycommunityenergy.com/system_lists/energy-center-san-francisco/ https://clearwaycommunityenergy.com/system_lists/energy-cent...
- dmix 5y agoThe interesting part of the NYC one is the scale > Today, Consolidated Edison operates the largest commercial steam system in the world (larger than the next nine combined).
- wefarrell 5y agoIt is funny (if not terrifying) that we have literal geysers spring up on crowded city streets every once in a while.