modeled a scenario around the use of ATES in a neighborhood in Chicago, creating a hypothetical neighborhood of around 60 homes that were hooked up to a grid that could provide different forms of energy and storage. They then ran that model through various
climate scenarios to get a sense of how much heating and cooling these homes will need in the future, as well as testing out the grid’s resiliency during disasters. The model showed some pretty huge benefits. The use of ATES drove down the grid’s use of fossil fuels for energy by up to 40% in some casesnlike air conditioners that stress the grid during super-hot days, ATES cooling needs just enough energy to pump water around.too good to be true—but ATES isn’t a perfect technology. The location where ATES is set up mustspecific attributes to help the water flow more efficiently.
“Giant underground pools of water not included.”