Anthopocene
Summary
A system that circulates underground water to heat and cool buildings could save 40% of the electricity and natural gas used for this purpose in the United States, according to a new study. The findings suggest that the method, known as aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES), could help decarbonize the energy system—and increase the resilience of the electrical grid to extreme weather.
ATES operates as a district heating system, Perera explains—one pair of hot and cold storage wells can serve a whole neighborhood.
The basic idea behind ATES is this: during the summer, water is pumped up from underground aquifers, heated by the sun or with electricity from solar panels, then pumped back underground. In winter, the warm water is pumped back to the surface and used to help heat buildings, then the cooled water is stored back underground to help cool buildings in the summer. (The water can also be heated or cooled at any time of year with electricity from wind energy.)
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