In Finland, there remains vast unexplored potential for exploiting waste heat that is generated in industry and large buildings in particular, such as hospitals and commercial properties. Large facilities also consume large amounts of compressed air, leading to greater energy consumption.
The considerable amount of heat generated by compressors during production is typically removed to prevent overheating and optimise the temperature of the compressed air produced. This is often done by venting the waste heat into the air, but a more efficient way is to recover the heat and use it elsewhere in the facility.
Waste heat has the advantage of being highly versatile – it is useful for many industrial processes. The heat generated during compressed air production can be used to heat process water or other liquids on the property, for example. Waste heat can be used for pre-heating or primary heating, depending on the temperature required.
The recovery of waste heat is especially useful if a clear use for the heat exists or the site has or is about to install heat pumps that can better distribute heat and exploit it efficiently.
Waste heat is also useful for heating buildings such as production halls. Furthermore, water-cooled compressors produce hot water or even steam that can be used for cleaning, sterilisation and pasteurisation processes.
There are practically as many uses as there are processes that need heat, as long as recovery is effective!
