Even in workplaces which have already introduced energy saving measures, there is still one untapped source… waste heat.

Industrial or thermal processes produce heat that is all-too-often released into the atmosphere, adding to greenhouse gases. That heat can be recovered and used in various ways.

Not all waste heat streams are economically/technically feasible to recover. An expert or in-house analysis of energy flows can determine what is possible.

Despite the potential savings and benefits, very few waste heat recovery projects are implemented in practice. Complexity, lack of end-users, technical constraints (e.g. set up during downtime periods), extended payback periods, lack of visibility of industrial activities are some of the underlying reasons for the low take-up. 

Technologies for heat recovery include:

• Converting low-temperature heat into electrical energy using the organic rankine cycle, or ORC, process
• Using waste heat to run refrigeration systems
• Supplying waste heat to remote or local heating networks

Waste heat can be recovered, for example, via the following production processes and locations:

• Ventilation and refrigeration systems
• Water processing and cooling, food and drinks processing, etc.
• Compressed air systems
• Flue or processed gases
• Heat pumps