Why do power stations have cooling towers?
If you’ve ever seen steam coming from a power station then there’s something seriously wrong with it! Water vapour yes, steam no! That’s not just a pedantic point. Steam (and particularly super-heated steam) carries a lot of heat energy. The water vapour coming from power stations contains far less heat energy and, consequently, the energy losses to the system are far less than you seem to assume. Of course, you’re correct to say that it would be possible to use excess heat from power stations for domestic or industrial purposes but this can only be energy-efficient if the factories or houses are immediately adjacent to the power station. Are you volunteering to live on a housing estate, surrounded by electricity pylons, next to a power station?
