Seawater Turned into Air-Conditioning
I wonder if seawater is quiet, because my window units sound like Boeing 747’s! Companies are now experimenting with turning ocean water into air-conditioning.
Using cold water, the technology could provide cheaper and greener cool air, especially for areas like Hawaii that need it year-round:
The technology, called “ocean thermal,” uses the temperature difference between warm surface water in the tropics and the ocean’s chilly depths to make power.
One important (and expensive) requirement is a giant pipe to pump the frigid water up from deep below the surface. But once the cold water is brought up, there are additional uses for it, as several experts explained to me.
At around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, chilly seawater can be used to air-condition buildings. The seawater “can chill fresh water in a heat exchanger or flow directly into a cooling system,” according to the Department of Energy.
With roughly 70 to 75% of the earth’s surface covered by water, a lot of that ocean, it’s certainly an untapped resource. That’s why the United States military is giving wave energy a whirl. It uses ocean waves to generate power.
Via Green Inc.