Posted by Chris Sullivan on Friday, 30 May 2014 at 10:00:24
Filed under: Products, Case Studies
The use of asphalt to generate solar heated water to defrost roads is an excellent subject for NCE to bring to the attention of your readers. In addition to the TRL trials using soil as the medium of storage (Trials begin on salt free road de icing system NCE last week) there is already a commercially available system being used in The Netherlands which utilises ground water in aquifers for storage of hot and cold water.
The first 2 Road Energy System® projects (as the Dutch process is called) in the UK are now imminently being constructed in Scotland by a soon to be signed UK licensee. A national surfacing contractor has also expressed interest in the system which utilises low temperature polymer modified asphalts to avoid melting the European patented plastic pipes and retaining grid system.
Undoubtedly interest will continue to grow when people fully realise the scope for generating heat and cold from asphalt pavements.
The Road Energy System® was developed jointly by a multi discipline engineering team comprising Ooms Avenhorn Holding (contractor), Tipspit and Vloerverwarming as a method for heating and cooling buildings. Following this process the ‘waste’ warm and cold water still has sufficient energy to defrost in winter roads, car parks, ramps, flyovers, aircraft standing and taxiways etc as well as cooling them during summer, thus prolonging the life of the pavement into the bargain. The system has successfully passed through extensive trials and developments over the last 8 years to reach major scheme status. The largest project to date at 10,000sq.m. is a flyover into Rotherdam docks where defrosting of the elevated structure is key to ensuring year round access.
Now that authorities and clients are looking to new housing, airport and industrial developments to be carbon neutral in terms of environmental impact the Road Energy System® provides a viable proven solution to low energy heating and cooling of buildings. Forward looking councils like Dundee have already identified schemes where the system maybe used in future. Airport authorities have also expressed interest with acres of black surfacing to utilise for collecting energy, which also require defrosting in winter, and large terminal buildings to heat and cool.
With NCE’s talent to reach the masses we would be delighted to show your readers real European cooperation involving multi disciplined engineering teams on UK based working projects in the near future.
Chris Sullivan I Eng.,M.I.H.T.
Managing Director
Material Edge Ltd
Tags: salt, trials