The heating system uses heat from any source such as the environment or a power station, this being directly used or briefly stored as long as its temperature is sufficient, and otherwise raised by heat pump to the desired temp. For later use, the surplus heat is stored for a long period on the cold side of the heat pump in one or more temp. stages, the heat losses from the high-temp ones being absorbed by the low-temp. ones. After increasing the temp. of the transfer fluid by extraction from the first stage, heat extraction then takes place from others whose temperatures increase in stages. Heat is transferred from some of the stages to the earth for long-term storage. When extracting heat from the lower-temp. stages the medium is converted from the liquid to the solid state and all its latent heat thus used, heat flowing in from the warmer surrounding earth. Heat is stored so as to allow extraction and temp. increases by heat pump for peak loads, this being done at low load times of the power station, storage then taking place in short-term accumulators at the supply temp. of the heating system.
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