Recycled Body Heat
Recycled Body Heat
The National Geographic Society uses the heat given off by human bodies to keep its six-story office building in Washington, D.C., warm.
The building has been designed specially so that the excess heat most buildings automatically dispose of is collected and stored instead. About 75 percent of the heat that is used to warm the building comes from the 5000 fluorescent lights which illuminate the structure.
The excess heat, which normally would be directed out rooftop cooling towers, is used instead to heat water which is then circulated to cooler areas of the building.
In addition, other heat is collected from the building's machinery - particularly the computer in the center -- and from the body heat given off by the 1200 employees.
How much heat does a person give off? According to the National Geographic Society, one worker generates about the same amount of heat as a 100-watt light bulb.
Because of its efficient heat system, the building does not require any additional help from its back-up heating unit until the temperature outside drops to about zero degrees Fahrenheit.
--ZODIAC
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