Clean Energy’s Best Kept Secret
Waste Heat Recovery.
That’s it in a nutshell.
The idea is simple enough. Take all that hot air from the top of smoke stacks and retrofit them with a “waste-heat recovery boiler,” which uses the stack’s heat to produce steam, which in turn spins a turbine to generate electricity, back into the plant.
The latest in a wave of these innovative products comes from an Illinois-based company called RED (Recycled Energy Development) and the CEO, Thomas Casten, thinks it’s the most profitable and logical ‘next step’ in helping to minimise the use of fossil fuels.
When you consider that there are 500,000 smokestacks in the United States alone (not counting China and India), the idea suddenly has global potential. Across the US alone, an estimated 47,500 stacks produce waste heat above 260 degrees Celsius (500 degrees Fahrenheit) … which could produce a minimum 50,000 megawatts of power through waste heat recovery.
“That’s almost half the energy produced by the US nuclear fleet,” noted Casten.
It is easy to push the entire problem of pollution onto the emission of cars and forget industry…Casten says;
…most people think of vehicle emissions as the leading driver of global warming, but in reality 69 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from heat and power production, and a mere 18 to 19 percent from vehicles. The heat and power sector is so inefficient, that it is like being “in the forest products business, and you just leave every fourth tree in the forest. Cut it down and just leave it there to rot.”
It is true too, that in many states throughout the US, there are still barriers to selling electricity back to the grid or directly to another business. Therefore, if a factory uses its waste heat to produce more power than it can use, it can be difficult to sell the excess, making the process less lucrative.
The Envirowarrior has to agree with Casten when he says that,
“We have gotten caught up in yesterday’s technology, yesterday’s rules, and yesterday’s goals.”
However, the inner-sceptic in me asks ... is this just a money making band-aid, quick fix for the real problems?
Further Reading on Waste Heat Recovery :
(link) In Australia
(link) As related to Kyoto measures
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I'm speechless...
don't they ALREADY do this? My god, I was under the assumption that it'd be the first thing on the list. I guess we need to keep pushing companies to spend the money... to get a long term gain!
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Let's hope so...
Lilla ...
Flashes of memories
It all boils down to the mighty dollar in the end. How sad. At least the cogs are turning though - hopefully in the right direction from now on.
Ash
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*lol* …talking of ‘boilers (pardon your pun) *chuckle* but doesn’t that just boil your britches?
I think the Bush administration have so much to answer for… you are spot on… it usually only takes one visionary to get it going … and surely the timing is right now?
Lilla …
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...ain't that the truth!
Lilla ...
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Although it maddens me too, it doesn't worry me, because eventually those pockets won't be deep enough to buy the daily oxygen they need to breathe.
A moment of realisation, before correction and eventual redemption?
I like to think so.
Always makes me think of the old addage that 'Necessity is the Mother of Invention,' or as the movie goes... 'something's gotta give,' facts are; certain things are running low and no matter how deep, those pockets won't be able to buy more...
Check mate.
Lilla ...
You can also recover heat at home, to some extent, with a waste-water heat extractor that pre-heats the water entering your Hot Water Heater. Cuts the cost to heat your water, uses less energy... what's not to love?!?
Go get started
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I couldnt agree more, but am always left to wonder why govenrments dont legislate this stuff harder on the owners... kickbacks?
I live in the tropics so heat isnt an issue round my way
Thanks for your interesting comment.
Lilla ...