Office Heating Solution: Use Body Heat

A Scandinavian company is developing a method to channel body heat from a mass transit station to an adjacent office block.

Office block warmed by body heat

In Sweden, the Jernhusen company, which owns Stockholm's central station, is planning to channel passenger warmth to heat a 13-storey office block being built next to the station.

Heat exchangers in the station's ventilation system will convert the body heat into hot water, which will be pumped into the heating system of the building.

It is not yet certain how effective the technique will be.

But Jernhusen engineers hope it will meet up to 15% of the heating needs of the building, which will provide about 40,000 square metres of space for offices, hotels, restaurants and shops.

A truly creative solution. I totally respect the Scandinavians for coming up with remarkable ways of using what would otherwise be wasted energy. Energy is all around us, and it takes a progressive and open people to harness it.

Here's a thread on yet another creative heating solution from those crazy Vikings:
Norwegians Drawing Heat from Sewage

Most large office buildings must use airconditioning year around due to all that heat generated by computers, lighting systems etc. Human contribution is relatively trivial.