From Victorian Vision to Modern Innovation: Keeping London Warm

Following on from our article on how Norwegian tradition and OpenWeather technology can help us embrace the challenges of winter, we now look closer to our London Gherkin home, and understand more about the groundbreaking technology behind keeping some of London’s iconic buildings warm during the winter.

Industrial Past

During the burgeoning Industrial Revolution, visionary engineers and scientists such as Joseph Bazalgette and Robert FitzRoy were laying the foundations for centuries to come.

Faced with the "Great Stink" of 1858, caused by raw sewage flowing directly into the River Thames, Bazalgette designed an ambitious network of sewers that revolutionized public health and laid the foundation for modern London. Meanwhile, Admiral Robert FitzRoy, a pioneer in meteorology, was developing the very first weather forecasting service, a system that would transform how people understood and interacted with the natural world.

Just as Bazalgette meticulously studied river flows to design a resilient sewage system, and FitzRoy diligently collected atmospheric data to predict storms and save lives at sea, today's engineers utilize advanced technology and precise weather data to create a heat network that harnesses London’s excess thermal energy.

Technological Future

London is exploring an innovative way to heat its iconic landmarks and reduce carbon emissions. A new project aims to harness renewable heat from the River Thames, the London Underground, and the city's sewer system to warm approximately 1,000 buildings, including the Houses of Parliament and the National Gallery. This initiative could significantly contribute to London's sustainability goals by utilizing existing infrastructure to provide a greener energy source for heating.

Pre-existing, yet untapped heat sources are used to provide low-carbon heating to buildings across Westminster.

This ambitious project captures "wasted" heat, often simply released into the atmosphere, from sources such as:

• The River Thames, with its relatively stable temperature, becomes a source of thermal energy through the use of heat pumps.

• The London Underground, with its bustling trains and passengers, generates significant excess heat that can be harnessed.

• The city's sewer network, carrying wastewater, holds a surprising amount of thermal energy - a fitting tribute to Bazalgette’s forethought.

By repurposing this heat, London significantly reduces its reliance on traditional fossil fuel-based heating systems.

This project offers numerous benefits for London. It significantly reduces carbon emissions, with the heat network projected to save approximately 75,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Shifting away from fossil fuels also contributes to cleaner air for all Londoners. Using this locally sourced heat enhances energy security, reducing reliance on imported energy, and importantly, the project creates jobs and stimulates innovation in green technology.

How OpenWeather Dashboard can help manage energy

OpenWeather's comprehensive weather data solution, accessed through the user-friendly OpenWeather Dashboard, can be used to manage a wide range of renewable energy supply and demand scenarios.

• Forecast weather data , also available through the Dashboard, enables operators to dynamically adjust operations in response to changing conditions. For example, the system can proactively increase heat production if an unexpected cold snap is predicted, ensuring buildings stay warm while minimizing energy waste.

• The availability of granular, hyperlocal data allows for efficient management of the network by taking into account the varying temperatures and heat demands of different areas within London.

During the cold winter months, the OpenWeather Dashboard can play an important role in tackling key energy and environmental challenges:

• Transport: Snow and ice pose a significant risk of transport disruption, potentially causing delays and cancellations across roads, railways, and airports. Accidents are more likely to occur in these conditions, and travel during peak times like the festive season could be particularly affected. The OpenWeather Dashboard can be used to receive weather triggers to understand when certain, pre-configurable weather conditions will occur.

• Energy: Colder weather brings a surge in energy demand as people rely more on heating, increasing gas and electricity consumption. This heightened demand can strain energy supplies, potentially causing price hikes and even outages, especially during periods of extreme cold or when energy production is limited.

• Infrastructure: Winter weather can damage key infrastructure elements. The constant freezing and thawing of water creates potholes and cracks in roads, while the weight of snow and ice can put significant stress on buildings and bridges. This often leads to costly repairs, putting a strain on local budgets. The OpenWeather Dashboard can give regular weather reports to help engineers understand the specific weather conditions that will affect their own area of responsibility.

The OpenWeather Dashboard can be customized to a particular industry, or any specific business requirement.

London is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city in a constant state of change. The creative and innovative solutions of today build on the city’s long history of pioneering engineering.

OpenWeather, based in one of the most recognizable and iconic buildings of our era, have created a customizable weather Dashboard that can be used for a wide range of applications and scenarios, and sits perfectly with the dynamics of this ever changing world.

About OpenWeather:

OpenWeather provides weather data for any location on the globe using a proprietary hyperlocal forecasting model with a resolution from 500 m to 2 km, globally. More than 7,000,000 customers from logistics, agriculture, insurance, energy, retail, and many other sectors, are working with the company's weather products.

OpenWeather cooperates with global meteorological agencies such as MetOffice and NOAA, and enhances its model with data from radars, weather stations and satellites. The company provides great availability of service at 99.9% for enterprise-level products. The products can be easily integrated into complex IT systems and are ideal for ML analytic systems.

Furthermore, OpenWeather offers a comprehensive weather dashboard, providing accurate forecasts, timely severe weather alerts, detailed overviews, and expert consultations from meteorologists. As a member of the Royal Meteorological Society and an Achilles-certified supplier, OpenWeather maintains high standards of quality and reliability. The company also demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical initiatives through the OpenWeather Foundation, which supports educators and students, provides non-profit subscriptions to increase weather awareness, and fosters a community of innovators working towards a sustainable future. This commitment extends to humanitarian efforts such as the Ukrainian donation program.

For more information on how to gain access to our OpenWeather products, please email us.