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Energy efficiency through industrial excess heat recovery—policy impacts

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Abstract

The EU target on energy efficiency implies a 20 % reduction in the use of primary energy by implementation of energy efficiency measures. Not all potential cost-effective measures for improved energy efficiency are implemented. This energy efficiency gap is explained by market barriers. Policy instruments can be used to overcome these barriers. The target could, for example, be obtained through industrial excess heat recovery; but there is a knowledge gap on factors affecting excess heat utilization. In this study, interviews were carried out with energy managers in order to study excess heat utilization from industry’s perspective. The study seeks to present how excess heat recovery can be promoted or discouraged through policy instruments, and several factors are raised in the paper. The interviews revealed that excess heat recovery is generally referred to in terms of heat deliveries to the district heating network. One may need to look for innovative recovery solutions, and policies are needed to bring these solutions into action. Due to inefficient conversion for heat-driven electricity generation, a system favoring this implementation could favor an inefficient system. Beyond external instruments, internal goals, visions, and the importance of energy as a priority were shown to be important in the work with improved energy management.

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Notes

  1. The energy efficiency potential may be viewed upon from three different perspectives: the hypothetical perspective (i.e., the total potential if all available technological measures are implemented), the technologist’s economic potential, and the enonomist’s economic potential (Jaffe and Stavins 1994; Backlund et al. 2012). Hence, the actual magnitude of the energy efficiency potential depends on the perspective used. For a further description of the different perspectives, see, e.g., Jaffe and Stavins (1994) and Backlund et al. (2012).

  2. A cost-benefit analysis should be performed when planning for a new thermal electricity generation facility (>20 MW), a new DH/district cooling (DC) network, a new “energy production facility” (>20 MW) in an existing DH/DC network, and an industrial facility (>20 MW) that would generate excess heat or when an existing energy generation facility is being reconstructed (Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications 2013).

  3. Not all companies were able to disclose this information.

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Acknowledgments

This work was carried out under the auspices of the Energy Systems Programme, funded by the Swedish Energy Agency. I would like to thank the respondents for taking time to answer the questionnaire and participate in the interviews. A special thanks to my co-supervisor Helen Peterson for all the invaluable support and guidance. I would also like to thank my supervisor Magnus Karlsson and my colleague Patrik Thollander for valuable comments and input.

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  1. Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Energy Systems, Linköping University, SE-58183, Linköping, Sweden

    Sarah Broberg Viklund

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  1. Sarah Broberg Viklund
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Correspondence to Sarah Broberg Viklund.

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Broberg Viklund, S. Energy efficiency through industrial excess heat recovery—policy impacts. Energy Efficiency 8, 19–35 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-014-9277-3

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