TY - JOUR
T1 - An estimate of the ultralow waste heat available in the European Union
AU - Luberti, Mauro
AU - Gowans, Robert
AU - Finn, Patrick
AU - Santori, Giulio
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Alexander S. Rattner (Penn State University), Srinivas Garimella (Georgia Institute of Technology) and Russell McKenna (University of Aberdeen) for their valuable and insightful comments in the initial stages of the investigation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - A large amount of low grade heat is wasted at temperatures below 100°C but its quantity remains mostly unknown. Therefore, the identification and quantitation of low grade heat availability enables further assessments on whether or not the recovery of this fraction of heat is convenient. By considering the countries composing the European Union (EU), this work quantifies the low grade heat from power generation and industrial sectors (mining, minerals, metals, chemicals, pulp and paper, food) with a particular focus on the faction of heat below 100°C. The analysis shows that, in the year 2018, 8,774.4∙106 GJ (2,437.3 TWh) of heat was available in the EU below 100°C, with the power generation sector accounting for 95% of the total low grade heat emitted. In addition, around 96% of the waste heat was in the temperature range from 25°C to 80°C, being of ultralow grade. Similar conclusions were obtained in terms of exergy loss, which was essentially from the power generation sector, especially in the range of temperatures between 40°C to 60°C. These results suggest that ultralow waste heat is an untapped source of energy which can be conveniently exploited by the same point-source emitters, primarily in the power generation sector or in wider industrial areas where infrastructure is present.
AB - A large amount of low grade heat is wasted at temperatures below 100°C but its quantity remains mostly unknown. Therefore, the identification and quantitation of low grade heat availability enables further assessments on whether or not the recovery of this fraction of heat is convenient. By considering the countries composing the European Union (EU), this work quantifies the low grade heat from power generation and industrial sectors (mining, minerals, metals, chemicals, pulp and paper, food) with a particular focus on the faction of heat below 100°C. The analysis shows that, in the year 2018, 8,774.4∙106 GJ (2,437.3 TWh) of heat was available in the EU below 100°C, with the power generation sector accounting for 95% of the total low grade heat emitted. In addition, around 96% of the waste heat was in the temperature range from 25°C to 80°C, being of ultralow grade. Similar conclusions were obtained in terms of exergy loss, which was essentially from the power generation sector, especially in the range of temperatures between 40°C to 60°C. These results suggest that ultralow waste heat is an untapped source of energy which can be conveniently exploited by the same point-source emitters, primarily in the power generation sector or in wider industrial areas where infrastructure is present.
KW - Ultralow waste heat
KW - Heat recovery
KW - Thermal energy
KW - Energy intensity
KW - Process efficiency
KW - EU energy resources
U2 - 10.1016/j.energy.2021.121967
DO - 10.1016/j.energy.2021.121967
M3 - Article
SN - 0360-5442
JO - Energy
JF - Energy
M1 - 121967
ER -