By upgrading heat at a lower temperature, industrial heat pumps use their high-energy efficiency to meet heating needs in industry, therefore helping to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and the associated emissions of CO2 and other harmful gases such as SOx, NOx, methane and carbon monoxide.
This project tried to gain a better understanding of the global energy and environmental benefits of industrial heat pumps, to broaden the knowledge base and disseminate the information. By conducting the most comprehensive survey of industrial heat pumps to date, the IEA determined that over 4,600 industrial heat pumps are currently used in Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA.
In addition to determining current users, each participating country conducted a market assessment using the Industrial Heat Pump Screening Program. This was specifically developed to determine how industrial heat pumps could be used in different applications. Estimates were made on the potential for using industrial heat pumps in over 35 different processes in the year 2010. The study indicated that industrial heat pumps could reduce the energy consumption for industrial process heating by 1,300 to 3,100 PJ per year worldwide, or 2-5% of the global energy demand for process heat by the target year. The screening program was updated in 1997 and is available from the HPC.
The objectives of the project were:
The project manager (the so-called Operating Agent) was the US Department of Energy, Office of Industrial Technologies, on behalf of the USA.The participating countries were: Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK, and USA.
The project resulted in the following publications:
Besides the following software package was developed:
Using pinch technology theory, this software package lets engineers screen their industrial process for the technical and economic suitability of an industrial heat pump (IHP). The program contains data on more than 100 processes, and over 50 types of IHP. A downloadable demo is available, for more information, please contact the Heat Pump Centre.