Recovered energy (or waste heat energy), is unused energy that would be wasted otherwise. It’s produced during processes like heating, cooling, and refrigeration. Waste heat recovery captures and reuses this energy to cut costs, reduce CO2 emissions, and improve energy efficiency.
What Methods Are Used For Recovering Waste Heat Energy?
Various methods exist for recovering waste heat, some of them are-
- Preheating Incoming Gas: Waste heat from exhaust gases or conditioning unit exhaust streams can be used to preheat incoming gas, a basic method for waste heat recovery.
- Heat to Power Units (WHRUs): These units can recover waste heat and convert it into electricity, providing an efficient method of energy recovery.
Also See: What is Municipal Waste?
What are the Applications of Recovered Energy (or Waste Heat Energy)?
Recovered Energy (or Waste Heat Energy) finds many applications in various industries and processes. Some common uses include:
- Industrial Processes: Recovering heat from hot streams, water, or gases in industrial processes, like steam from cooling towers or flue gases from generators, improves efficiency and reduces emissions.
- Space Heating and Cooling: Waste heat recovery preheats incoming gas for space heating and cooling, enhancing energy efficiency.
- Electricity Generation: Waste heat, at different temperature ranges, can generate electricity or mechanical work using units called WHRUs or heat-to-power units.
- Refrigeration: Waste heat recovery preheats refrigerant before entering the compressor, reducing energy consumption in refrigeration systems.
- Domestic Hot Water Generation: Recovered heat is used to preheat incoming water for domestic hot water systems.
Recommended: What is Repowering?
