Final Report: Industrial Electrification Through Heat Pump Adoption for Process Loads
Results
- Stakeholder interest in heat pumps is growing, but plant manager awareness and experience with the products are limited.
- Commercial heat pump economic viability is limited by Minnesota's spark gap.
- Industrial heat pumps have the potential to replace up to 32% of Minnesota's industrial natural gas consumption for thermal processes.
Highlights
Objectives
Identify and evaluate best candidates for moderate- to high-temperature industrial heat pump applications and determine steps needed to establish market adoption of these technologies.
Scope
Gather industrial heat pump product information, conduct a market study and site surveys to evaluate opportunities, and estimate the technical, economic, and maximum potential for heat pumps in Minnesota industrial facilities.
Benefits
Identify optimal and cost-effective industrial heat pump applications to potentially lower the emission of air pollutants from industrial processes, which impact local residents.
This CARD-funded research project examined the savings potential of using industrial heat pumps to generate process heating at industrial sites. Industrial heat pumps offer opportunities to electrify manufacturing processes that use direct combustion of natural gas to process heat. Industrial heat pump systems use electricity to create temperatures of 70°C to 200°C (160°F to 400°F), suitable for many different unit operations, including the production of steam. These systems can provide energy savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions in a sector that has trailed commercial and residential buildings in energy savings and emissions reduction opportunities.