Closed-Loop Energy Systems
Typical baking processes require various thermal heat exchanges – heating or cooling – used in sequence or simultaneously. Significant potential exists to reuse these process thermal waste streams. A Closed-Loop Waste Energy System (CLWES) greatly enhances facility sustainability providing both energy and carbon footprint reductions. Capturing and re-purposing thermal waste streams into a sustainable energy source capable of supporting various production processes will significantly reduce energy spend, shrink facility carbon footprint, and assist you in reaching your sustainability objectives with a positive return on investment.
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Maximizing waste energy recycling investment requires assessment of many factors; production requirements, waste heat sources available, existing capital equipment and operational cost, annual production hours, and type of thermal energy required for each process. CLWES capitalize on the synergies which exist between the various load processes. When opportunities are available a “load balancing” component is incorporated into the design to offset the waste stream allowing process demands to be satisfied with little or no new energy input.
Baking Closed-Loop Waste Energy Schematic
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REDUCE OPERATIONAL COSTS
Significantly reduce energy consumption by utilizing waste heat to power thermal processes. Electrical, Gas, and City Water savings can provide a rapid return on investment generating a positive cash flow depending on geographic region, hours of operation, and process load requirements. VERSATILITY System utilizes waste heat from large industrial ovens, oxidizers, or other waste heat sources currently being discharged directly to atmosphere. As part of an intelligent facility architecture and waste heat streams available, systems have the capability of satisfying both hot and cold thermal process requirements from make-up to the freezers. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS Many organizations currently purchase or will be required to do so in the future, carbon offset credits. The amount of credits purchased is directly correlated with facility energy usage and carbon “footprint”. Recovering existing thermal waste energy and reducing energy consumption lowers carbon credits purchase requirements by reducing facility electricity usage which may be generated by coal, oil, or natural gas.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Immediate returns are possible in most new facility installations. Energy savings provides positive cash flow in most retrofit applications depending on full time process load requirements. Additional utility or government incentives may be available to offset initial capital investment.
Sustainability Investment
Properly utilized this “recycling” of process waste provides an immediate energy savings and if incorporated in initial designs may reduce capital investment. Waste heat can be used to create low temperature refrigeration, process heating to eliminate steam boiler requirements, or even generate electricity onsite. In existing facilities our “Pathway to Sustainability” solutions evaluate numerous technologies on a “cost to benefit” ratio providing you the opportunity to phase in facility initiatives over an extended period of time without altering long term capital budget schedules. This “Pathway” provides a catalyst for implementing future sustainable “Zero Energy” technologies starting with a lower initial investment.
Please contact us if interested in learning more about Closed-Loop Waste Energy Systems from Air Management Technologies.