UTES

Underground Thermal Energy Storage - 

The Ideal UTES exploits seasonal temperature changes to store both chill and heat, The energy is stored in aquifers, wells, caverns, boreholes gravel beds or other, we are recommending that the many miles of unused tunnels and caverns in the London Underground railway are put to good use in this way.

The source of the stored heat to be used for Wintertime community heating is to be derived from cooling the overheated air in the tunnels during the summer months. During winter months other unused voids can store coolth from being ventilated with air brought down from the surface during cold nights. Additionally the cold air can be used directly to cool the used tunnels.

Although large scale* UTES systems are a very recent technology there are systems in operation in Canada, the USA and Sweden

By using UTES technology energy savings of 60% to 80% have been reported.

*The ancient Persians had a sophisticated underground irrigation system using long tunnels. which they exploited for cooling their homes. Wind Towers were used to create pressure differences which brought the cool air in the tunnels to the surface. There are even some systems in use today. The underground canals were known as Qanats. Anyone flying across Iran will see perfectly straight lines of what look like small craters crossing barren regions.

Several societies have stored ice formed in winter until well in to the summer months using straw  insulation. 

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