Snow Gallery
A district heating system keeps a sidewalk dry after a snowfall, unlike the sidewalk beyond, which is not heated by the system. In Klamath Falls, Oregon, a geothermal district heating system keeps the sidewalks clear and dry at the Basin Transit station after a snowfall. The trees are protected with Styrofoam insulation to keep them from budding in the winter during system operation. The district heating system melts snow on more than 50,000 square feet of sidewalks and crosswalks. Snowmelt tubing in slurry was installed under the sidewalks in 1995 as part of the city's district heating system, which was constructed in 1981 to heat 14 government buildings, including the county museum, fire station, post office, city hall, library, courthouse, and jail. The system has now expanded to include non-government buildings, such as churches and small businesses, for a total of around 26 buildings. (Courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Department of Energy. Photograph by the Geo-Heat Center.)
