In cities, waste heat generated from subways will soon be warming homes

Cities generate a lot of heat. In New York, for instance you can often see columns of steam rising from the streets, emanating from some netherworld below. In the dead of winter this kind of emission seems like a waste, right? That's what the powers that be in London thought and they are doing something about it in the form a program that captures waste heat from London Underground tunnels to help warm homes and cut energy bills. The project will use heat coming from two sources: a London Underground ventilation shaft and an electrical a sub-station. Together the plan should heat some 500 homes and, of course, cut energy bills for the homeowners. The initiative is part of a larger trend in cities across the globe towards all things green, eco and sustainable. Recycling heat seems like a sensible direction for cities in cold climates.