Heat recovery in sustainable cities
There is enough excess energy worldwide to heat all buildings, yet excess heat recovery examples are scarce. The best energy is the one not used, and the next best is the one reused. We can repurpose energy from industries and urban sources like data centers, metro stations, supermarkets, and underground mines. This recovered heat can be used locally, such as in space and tap water heating. Additionally, it can be sold for district heating purposes.
Trend in Industry
To keep the global warming target of 1.5 °C alive, we need to triple the installed capacity of renewable energy and double the rate of global energy efficiency improvements by 2030. Use of the excess heat available worldwide will be essential and a great opportunity to achieve this. Only in EU, the available excess energy is expected to surplus 2000 TWh in 2050 which could cover almost the full heat demand for space and tap water heating (Mathiesen 2023).
The excess heat is generated both from industrial processes and urban sources such as wastewater treatment plants, data centres, hospitals, and the metro. New solutions for heat reuse are being deployed every day. However, location, infrastructure, and demand patterns often cause heat to be lost.
- 22 countries in EU could cover more than 50 % of their current energy demand with excess heat.
- Low temperature excess heat from wastewater treatment plants, 442 TWh/year, and data centres, 221 TWh/year, can be lifted with industrial heat pumps to temperature levels suitable to supply the district heating grid.
- By improving the energy efficiency and preparing buildings for low temperature heat distribution we can reduce heat losses in the district heating system and allow utilization of lower grade excess heat sources. In doing so the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of industrial heat pumps are improved even further.
- 30 % of the electricity in hydrogen production is converted to heat. When planning hydrogen plants, the location should be carefully selected to allow heat recovery while providing cooling to the electrolyser.
- Expansion of water-carried systems such as district energy and heat networks will be a crucial enabler to distribute excess heat.
- Fit for 55 package: cities in EU larger than 45 000 citizens will be required to produce a heating and cooling plan with mapping of the available energy to facilitate sector coupling and deployment of essential energy infrastructure.
- When cooling residential and service buildings with individual chillers, heat is produced as a by-product. This heat should be used for tap water heating or used to provide efficient cooling with an absorption chiller.
Konsultant? Integrator sistema?
Da li ste konsultant? Pogledajte ovde! Uz stručnost iz decenijskog iskustva u razmeni toplote, Alfa Laval nudi znalačke resurse za današnje izazove grejanja i hlađenja. Otkrijte odgovore na složena pitanja o svemu, od energetske efikasnosti do prirodnih rashladnih sredstava, zajedno sa korisnim alatima koji olakšavaju pronalaženje prave tehnologije za vašu primenu.
AHRI izmenjivači toplote sa sertifikatom o performansama za pouzdane termalne performanse
Sertifikacija Instituta za klimatizaciju, grejanje i hlađenje (AHRI) je jedina globalna verifikacija termalnih performansi treće strane, koja vam daje nezavisnu garanciju da će vaš pločasti izmenjivač toplote raditi u skladu sa objavljenim ocenama proizvođača. Alfa Laval nudi AHRI sertifikovane pločaste izmenjivače toplote sa zaptivačima, lemljene pločaste izmenjivače toplote i pločaste izmenjivače toplote vezane fuzijom.
Why you should recover excess heat with Alfa Laval
- 99.9% of data centres’ electricity becomes excess heat. Our technology enables harnessing and reusing it for net-zero energy consumption.
- Alfa Laval has a broad range of contact points to connect energy companies to heat networks and district energy networks.
- With millions of heat exchangers in operation worldwide and an extensive R&D program for heat exchangers, we offer the most reliable solution.
- We have reference units in both industrial and urban excess heat applications to provide heat for district heating.
- All our plate heat exchangers have AHRI certification, ensuring superior thermal performance. Don’t take just our word for it.
Products
Semi-welded plate heat exchangers
- Unique gasket sealing system ensures safe operation and lasting efficiency.
- Compact design prevents cross-contamination and maximizes space utilization.
- Ideal for advanced, sustainable energy storage and high-temperature applications.
Pločasti izmenjivači toplote sa zaptivkom
- Fleksibilna rešenja koja se mogu prilagoditi zadatku obezbeđujući najveću toplotnu efikasnost
- Kompaktni dizajni štede prostor i laki su za servisiranje i održavanje
- Rešenja za smanjenje prljanja, naprezanja i korozije za maksimalno vreme rada
Lemljeni pločasti izmenjivači toplote
- Lagana bakarno lemljena konstrukcija sa kompaktnim dimenzijama
- Veća toplotna efikasnost od uporedivih školjki i cevi
- Fleksibilne opcije za uklapanje u različite aplikacije sa svim različitim vrstama medija/tečnosti
- Idealan za prirodna rashladna sredstva sa niskim GWP
AlfaNova izmenjivači toplote spojeni fuzijom
- Prava konstrukcija od 100% nerđajućeg čelika
- Jaka otpornost na koroziju sa agresivnim medijima
- Sprečava kontaminaciju metala u vodi za piće i drugim higijenskim aplikacijama
- Visoka termička efikasnost i kompaktne dimenzije
For a sustainable future - Carbon Capture, Green Hydrogen and Energy Storage
Decarbonization of Cities is one of the most complex challenges of our time. It will require completely transforming our global energy system, and this means that there is no single or simple solution. Beside constantly working with energy efficiency, reusing the energy already produced and for example working with excess from industries and Cities for comfort heat , it will take a combination of technologies and solutions, and advancing clean energy in order to reach the Paris agreement and climate challenges. Alfa Laval has a number of initiatives and already installed products in solutions that will be important for the future. Read more about Carbon Capture, Green hydrogen and thermal storage here.
A beacon of energy-efficient excess heat recovery
Recovering industrial excess heat with heat exchangers and using it for district heating is one of the most effective ways to improve energy efficiency on a global scale. The Aurubis Group has taken this very approach to improve sustainability in one of their smelters.
Hunting for excess heat
Alfa Laval heat exchangers have been used to recover heat for almost a century. Our energy-efficient solutions support heat reuse in diverse applications, from water and oil-cooled data centres to industrial processes like sulphuric acid plants. Join us in our search for heat-saving opportunities and discover how much you can reduce your energy bill with our solutions.
The Energy Efficiency Movement
The Energy Efficiency Movement, initiated by ABB, aims to create awareness and foster actionable change as a community. At Alfa Laval, we recognize the importance of working together to scale up energy-efficient solutions. That's why we were the first company to join the movement at COP26. With our extensive network, we can connect key industry players and help pave the way to a net-zero future.
Cooled acid turns to district heating
Since 1974 Kemira has, efficient and reliable, been selling energy to the city of Helsingborg.
The best energy is the one not used, and the next best energy is the one reused."
Following a total reconstruction of the cooling system at the Kemira sulphuric acid plant, the temperature of the cooling water has been raised to a level at which it can be used for district heating.
Making efficiency last for decades
A poorly functioning heat exchanger may affect safety, product quality and energy costs. Failure may lead to costly downtime and major losses in production. By regular and proactive maintenance of your gasketed plate heat exchanger performance is preserved and operations kept trouble-free and predictable.
We have the expertise to help you whether you experience a problem today, wish to prevent future issues or want to solve the problem yourself with our online troubleshooter.
Digitalization for energy efficiency
Smart cities and digital intelligence could help cities to make progress toward meeting 70 percent of their Sustainable Development Goals. Digital services can already have a significant impact on heating and cooling systems in cities, making them more sustainable.
Enabling remote monitoring and performing dedicated analytics allow more precise and efficient operation, more informed decision-making, and targeted interventions. The development of more sophisticated and efficient heating and cooling systems is only possible through this digital transformation, which can provide reliable and affordable heating and cooling services to urban areas while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.