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Faced with the persistent heat wave affecting several areas of the United States, the Government of New York, together with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), announced the start of a new project to reverse the situation.
The initiative promoted by the Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, aims to study different technology options to reduce the temperature in the subway network.
MTA announced the best news: What is the plan to fight the heat wave?
The plan promoted by the government team is to study the installation of a thermal energy network (TEN, by its English name) within the transit system.
The goal is twofold:
- Reduce heat on the platforms during the hottest months.
- Use that thermal energy in winter.
The project would take advantage of the comprehensive renovation planned for the Chambers Street J/Z station. It is a study to eventually install a system.
How would New York’s plan to cool the platforms work?
The idea behind the project is to capture part of the excess heat generated and accumulated inside the stations so that it does not remain on the platforms. A thermal network would make it possible to transport that energy to other points and redistribute temperatures within the complex.
This heat could also be used during the coldest months to heat nearby municipal buildings. In other words:
- In summer: remove and manage part of the excess heat from the stations to improve passenger comfort.
- In winter: use recovered thermal energy to help heat nearby public buildings.
- In the long term: reduce energy waste and potentially lower the energy costs of buildings connected to the system.