Motivation
In the Federal Republic of Germany, around 2,300 billion kWh of final energy was consumed in 2020, more than half of which was used to provide heat. As temperatures above 100 °C are required for thermal processes in industry in particular (approx. 440 billion kWh), the options for providing heat based on renewable energy sources are very limited. As a result, only 6 % of industrial process heat is currently generated from renewable sources - in contrast to electricity generation. In order to make existing industrial processes more climate-friendly, the fossil fuels used to date must be used more efficiently. One of the most promising ways of doing this is to tap into and use waste heat resources within the company.
Objectives
The aim of the project is to support companies from the Lusatian region and beyond in the development and implementation of innovative waste heat utilization concepts and thus to provide these companies with competitive advantages in economic terms through a significant reduction in energy costs, but also in terms of their corporate image through the realization of energy-sustainable production.
The two project partners, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and Use My Energy GmbH Zittau, are developing methodological and mathematical tools for the design of waste heat utilization concepts. As a result of the designs, thermally and economically validated concepts for waste heat utilization systems should be available as a basis for practical implementation.
Within the 36-month project duration, the relevant waste heat potentials of the companies in Lusatia will first be recorded and systematized(results of the survey). A well-founded checklist for thermal industrial processes and a structured catalog of selection criteria for suitable waste heat utilization concepts will be developed to provide methodological support for the design of specific waste heat utilization systems. The thermal and economic simulation of the specific plants will be carried out with the help of the UME Designer of the partner Use My Energy, which will be substantially further developed in the project for this new innovative application in industrial plants.
Project presentation at the Climate Deal Lunch Info
Milestone 3 of the project took place on 16.10.2023 at the Celsiuz Co-Creation Lab in Zittau as an industry workshop. The project team welcomed interested representatives from regional companies as well as from science and politics in the historic factory ambience of the Mandau-Höfe.
The presentations highlighted the enormous importance of waste heat recovery for all those involved, but also discussed the hurdles companies face in capturing waste heat potential. The presentation of various options for analyzing waste heat in the company (e.g. via checklists, load profile analyses, energy monitoring systems) was just as much a part of the content as the discussion of complex waste heat utilization concepts and the associated components. The two guest lectures with practical examples were of particular interest.
All presentations are available under the following link: Presentations
Opportunities for cooperation within the project - Take the chance!
The lack of time, money and personnel is the primary reason why companies do not deal with the topic of waste heat and energy efficiency.
For the remainder of the project, resources are available to enable interested companies to participate in the validation and optimization of the tools developed in the project under practical conditions. This also includes the energy analysis of the current status of a company and the development of possible energy-saving measures or the derivation of waste heat utilization concepts. The aim is always to reduce your company's energy consumption and the associated reduction in CO2 emissions.
No financial or other obligations are linked to the cooperation !
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Meinert > or Dr.-Ing. Sven Synowzik >.
