Coal-fired stoves heat the majority of residences in Beijing’s hutongs, the city’s imperial-era neighborhoods characterized by narrow alleyways lined by quadrangle-shaped courtyard homes.
Although coal provides an inexpensive fuel source, it emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants that contribute to serious health issues and China’s overall pollution problems.
Residents in the hutongs commonly suffer from respiratory illnesses, as well as endure soot-stained walls and many other negative effects of coal burning.
Numerous initiatives at the city and national levels are underway to promote clean energy throughout Beijing, including building infrastructure to bring electricity to the hutong districts and helping residents switch from coal-fired stoves to electric heat.
A China-based subsidiary of SPX Corporation is playing a critical role in this effort.
The company is providing a cleaner but cost-effective alternative to coal heating and, at the same time, establishing a platform upon which to share more of its expertise and technology to benefit people throughout China.
Cost-Effective Thermal Storage
SPX’s Chinese subsidiary received approval from the Chinese government to sell thermal storage heaters for residential use in Beijing’s Dongcheng and Xicheng Districts. Located within the city’s second inner ring road, the districts are home to the majority of Beijing’s hutongs.
Developed for China’s residential market, the thermal storage heaters provide a cost-effective alternative to coal-burning stoves. They are powered by electricity, mostly at night, when rates are the lowest, making the cost differences between electric and coal heat negligible.
The compact units also require little space, so no major renovation of residents’ homes is required to accommodate them.
How They Work
Produced in the subsidiary’s manufacturing facilities in China, the thermal storage units are filled with high-density ceramic bricks. Electric elements, similar to those found in electric ovens, pass through them. The elements convert electricity to heat, which is then stored in the bricks. Surrounded by high efficiency insulation, the bricks can hold heat for long periods.
Some heat is released into the surrounding air while a unit charges, providing immediate warmth. Controlled by a thermostat, the unit can be set to release heat as needed throughout the day.
There are no carbon emissions, soot or fumes. Because electricity is used primarily during non-peak hours when rates are the cheapest, operating costs are low.
Housed in slim-line cabinets, the thermal storage units also offer a more appealing aesthetic than old-fashioned coal-burning stoves.
Beyond the Coal-to-Electric Conversion
Selling thermal storage heaters to residents of Beijing’s hutongs represents the opportunity to eventually develop and market more leading-edge residential heating products throughout China.
According to Tom Blashill, president of Marley Engineered Products LLC, which worked with the Chinese subsidiary to develop the thermal storage heaters, what is even more important about this project is the impact the transition will have on the people of China.
“Each installation of a thermal storage heater plays a role in reducing China’s carbon footprint while providing modern indoor comfort for its residents,” he said.
“At the same time, we strive to be a partner in China and throughout the world, delivering solutions to improve the quality of life. In Beijing, what people need and want is a cost-effective, greener alternative to coal. That’s what our thermal storage heaters provide.”