‘Kind of miracle solution’: How Paris is harnessing the Seine to replace air-con

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Paris is expanding its district cooling network that uses chilled river water from the Seine to reduce dependence on individual air conditioning units. The system already serves many key public and cultural buildings, aiming to be a sustainable cooling solution amid intensifying European heatwaves.

City plans to triple system of underground pipes that distribute chilled river water, reducing need for individual cooling units As heatwaves intensify across Europe, most cities are reaching for a familiar fix of more air conditioning. But in 1990s Paris, planning began for a different kind of solution: one of the world’s largest district cooling networks. The system has 120kms (75-miles) of underground pipes distributing chilled water to museums, offices, hospitals, schools and other public buildings including the Louvre, the Grand Palais, and some luxury hotels and office districts. Instead of thousands of individual air-conditioning units, cooling is produced centrally and shared across the city like a utility. Continue reading...