"Geothermal heat exchanger at Southampton is nothing to write home about "
Feb 1, 2020 at 3:07 PM AK

It should be something that someone can write to someone else about. As an experiment, it should be reported on properly, so that others may learn from it!

It has not been a complete disaster, but it does not represent an overwhelming case for Geothermal with lukewarm rocks.

As Taxpayer Grants/Subsidies contributed to the initial costs, it is only fair that Taxpayers should gain in knowledge, if not financially.

If lessons can be learned about what is practical in the real world, as opposed to computer models, computer models could be improved so that the production of non recyclable rubbish is reduced

tomo, I agree with references to Milk Floats. I agree that for some people, battery cars make sense as local runabouts for short return trips.

Until battery car manufacturers are compelled to produce realistic figures for range and distance per charge, at safe and practical speeds, there is no reason why the average driver should take them seriously. Along with cost depreciation over 3 years, the new purchaser should be made aware of range depreciation after 3 years.

As the EU's incompetence/complicity over diesel emissions has never been formally scrutinised, there is no reason to assume the EU can be trusted now. Perhaps it is something BoJo could introduce, to demonstrate that the UK expects better standards than the EU?

People who drive /buy proper cars expect realistic information:

https://www.allcarleasing.co.uk/blog/what-is-mpg/
"What is Combined mpg?
Combined mpg relates to the average miles per gallon calculated between the Urban and Extra-Urban readings and is usually the statistic that most driver’s look for when contemplating a vehicle for its fuel economy. It could also be considered the most accurate reading for a variety of drivers and especially people who live outside of large cities because the combined reading incorporates the two readings so would make sense to people who commute from the countryside into the city for work and experience both urban and extra-urban styles of driving."

Feb 1, 2020 at 1:35 PM It doesn't add up...

I don't exclude such systems! Geothermal is brilliant, provided the rocks are hot. Luke warm rocks/ground/compost heaps etc are OK for single families to use if they accept the limitations, but if heating has to be easily turnuppable to cope with varied demand from multiple occupants, District Heating fails.

My practical experience of District Heating Systems has been in connection with sites 20+ years ago, with District Heating Systems that needed replacement and upgrading. The costs (including removal of asbestos insulation) and disruption during the work whilst maintaining hot water and heating were horrendous. Everyone cursed District Heating Systems, but the underlying principles remain sound, provided the owners of the campus and District Heating are immune from complaints from occupants.

The idea of one central boiler house on a campus, with a large brick chimney, powered the industry of the coal fired industrial revolution, it also supplied surplus heat.

The Green Blob have this deluded idea that Unreliables can provide the heat for District Heating, presumably on the basis that if it gets too cold, people can switch on an electric heater, powered by Unreliables somewhere else.