Photo: Supplied by Applied Energy
A Christchurch engineer says councils and the Government are not making the most of wastewater heat as a cheap and readily available energy source.
A 2023 KPMG report done for the UK's largest wastewater company, Thames Water, found there was enough heat in wastewater to cover heating and hot water for 1 million homes - 20 per cent of London's total domestic demand.
It works by using a heat exchanger to capture the warmth that builds up in wastewater pipes from homes and buildings, transferring it back through a heat pump to warm water or heat a home.
A wastewater heat recycling system catches the heat from wastewater pipes and recycles it with heatpumps for large buildings like hospitals, schools and swimming pools.
Nick Meeten, through his Applied Energy company, says modelling shows captured wastewater heat could cover 30-per cent of a home's energy needs.
An image showing how recycling wastewater works. Photo: Supplied by Applied Energy
