July-August 2021

COMPRESSED AIR 54 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS July/August 2021 www.hpmag.co.uk equal, there are still huge benefits to be had for other operations. Adoption during the winter months for example results in significant cost and carbon emissions benefits. These benefits have not been lost on some in the industry, with heat recovery applications for both space heating and water heating for human comfort, (facility heating) becoming increasingly popular in recent years. In such cases, the heat is used as an additional heating source, which in turn reduces the requirements placed on traditional carbon-fed boilers thereby reducing separate heating fuel costs and resulting in reduced carbon emissions. In cases where the recovered heat is used for heating water, we see an efficiency of upwards of 85%, rising to 96% in fully optimised operations, and in the case of space (air) heating, an efficiency of 60 to 70% can be achieved. With such results, operations will often see a short-term return on their investment of between one to three years. So, while there are benefits regardless of the size or the industry and operational aspects of the processes, significant benefits are to be had in recovering and repurposing heat from your compressed air system. But why then is adoption so slow? Technology application In many small and medium-sized operations, heat recovery has simply not been a priority. Typically, and rightly so, the key priorities are usually; capacity, reliability, energy efficiency, and then heat recovery – with HRS’s playing a distant last place! We are now witnessing a tide of change in industrial processing. Regulatory and policy pressures are driving necessary commitments towards energy efficiency. Consumers’ expectations for sourcing sustainable products are extending the long arm of traceability and supply chain accountability for improved efficiency (and finally, and most importantly - the know-how and systems for heat recovery) are becoming more widespread and cost-competitive. The compressed air industry has made great advances in improving the capacity, reliability, and energy efficiency of compressed air systems addressing these priorities for operations of all sizes. And while the pace of this innovation continues unabated, ELGi is bringing cost- sensitive ‘plug and play’ Heat 1 https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/4220 33-waste-heat-valorisation Recovery Systems to the market. Combined with a greater operational focus on energy auditing and system performance compliance with global standards on energy management (such as ISO50001), small and medium-sized operations can reap the benefits of heat recovery more easily than ever before. The tools and technologies are available for operations of all sizes to benefit from heat recovery. A high return on investment brings immediate cost savings and more importantly, carbon emission reductions help you in lowering the company’s net carbon footprint. Heat recovery is not just the right thing to do for the future of our planet, but it makes good business sense too. Small and medium-sized companies have the tools and opportunities now to stay ahead of any regulatory changes, to meet customer (and their downstream consumer) demands for improved sustainability, and ultimately improve their never- ending productivity targets. In addition to all this potential free energy source, there are other important aspects to consider. An example being a properly sized compressed air installation including the compressor room itself as well as its location to the point of use (where the compressed air is needed). The ultimate goal is therefore to recover heat from a properly sized system which is placed as close to the point of use as possible. For help with this, you can always rely on collaboration between your ESCO and your local compressed air expert, but if this article is still not as clear as the writing on your factory wall, don’t just take my word for it, the European Commission has also says: “Improved energy efficiency in industrial processes can lead to substantial primary energy savings, decarbonisation of the energy supply and subsequent reduction of CO2 emissions. The reduction in energy cost will also enable greater competitiveness.” www.elgi.com/gb