How can we use Heat Pumps in Industry?
Industries nationwide are struggling to meet their energy requirements as fossil fuel pricing continues to increase. Using an industrial heat pump allows a client to have a bespoke heating system designed to suit your industry needs. This may include an air source, geothermal or water source heat pump.
Distilling whiskey and brewing beer all require enormous amounts of heat to be extracted from products to preserve them as part of the distilling process. This means that the process uses heat extractors that condense the heat into a vapour that is then pumped out into the air, wasting countless litres of water and heat energy that could be utilised. These plants usually require a huge amount of hot water for this process, as well as deep cleaning machinery to ensure they are working in a sterile environment. Water is heated by using fossil fuels, which are then released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases. Chilled water is typically generated by chillers and heat by LPHW or steam boilers.
So what if you could use an industrial heat pump to utilise all of that extra energy while heating AND cooling your building at the same time with only one system?
What is A Heat Pump?
Heat pumps use various natural sources and allow the temperature of systems to achieve high enough temperatures to start heating water while only using a fraction of the energy. ‘Extra Energy’ can include steam that is being pumped out into the air and hot water and our unique bespoke offers that need to can recover high or low-grade heat, chill and provide up to 82 Degrees of heating water all at the same time.
Our heat recovery heat pump models are designed to reuse the energy that otherwise would be wasted. This works by taking the heat that has already been made and converting it into energy. This means less heating up of water just to see it wasted whilst achieving less CO2 emissions. The heat energy created can be used to power a large chiller as well. So you can completely eradicate the requirement for gas or oil boilers in your plant room.
Industrial Heat Pump System Project In Crolly Distillery
Crolly distillery was established in 2019. We were invited to design a cutting-edge cooling and heat recovery system that would be capable of cooling rejected water from stills condensers (fisheries only allow the river water to be returned at temperature two degrees higher) and reuse the recovered heat in the process.
Two high-temperature heat pumps were designed to deliver the task.
Rejected heat is being used to heat processed water at 85 and 65 degrees. The water is used at the start of the process of whiskey distilling. Excess heat is being used to heat the visitor centre and distillery offices.
MasterTherm in-house engineers have designed the entire system including plant room pipework, circulation pumps, motorised valves, heat exchangers etc.
The entire system is controlled, monitored and optimised online.
Crolly distillery produces premium whiskey and is also leading the way in energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction in the industry. Their long-term vision is to become a fully carbon-neutral whiskey distillery.
Benefits Of An Industrial Heat Pump
Using an industrial heat pump in a distillery or craft brewing will benefit you in many ways. Here are a few that we think are the highlights.
Sustainable Tourism
The future of tourism will be eco tourism where the client will decide on a destination based on the eco credentials of the tour or activity. Receiving a certificate of sustainable travel from the Sustainable Travel Ireland Association will make your business more appealing to an eco-conscious traveller. This will bring marketing opportunities and more business for a distillery or any business that depends on tourism. But what else can it bring? Having a sustainable business does not only refer to your carbon emissions. It also means happier employees, cost savings and ensuring your business can continue to function for the years to come.
The Environment
As the climate emergency is continuing to worsen and the ‘symptoms’ of our fossil fuel lifestyles are increasingly impacting the Earth we must become as eco-friendly as possible. This is why you should consider heat pumps for your industry. If you are using an excessive amount of fossil fuels you are adding to the percentage of people using these fuels which are causing devastation to our planet and the environment on it. 21% of carbon emissions came from industrial pollution in 2020 according to a study done by seai.ie. That’s 9,852 kilotons of CO2.
If we can lessen the carbon emissions caused by industry by using heat pumps and renewable energy then we can help Ireland reduce our carbon footprint.
Energy Efficiency
A heat pump ensures that you are being efficient with your energy and enables you to operate your system at its maximum efficiency. For example, if you are heating water only to let half of it evaporate into the air then you are wasting energy that could otherwise be used to cool production or heat your water. A heat pump can recycle this energy to use it for these purposes which means you use less energy overall.
Saving Money
Using less energy will bring notable savings on increasing monthly heating and electricity bills. Imagine not having a substantial part of your fixed costs! While heat pumps do use a small amount of electricity, the electric network is transferring to renewable sources such as solar and wind power. This means the heat pump will be sourcing any balance of its energy from the most cost-effective sources well into the future.
Comfort
Through a remote connection, room temperatures, water temperatures and operating parameters are monitored and altered remotely directly from the manufacturer. Data collected from the heat pump is stored and remains accessible for maintenance personnel making optimization and analytics easy to access.
Other Applications Of An Industrial Heat Pump
An industrial heat pump can be used in any industry. Some of these include food processing and beverage production, pharmaceuticals, food processing, the cement and concrete industry, medical supplies, and plastic and metal manufacturing. Some non-industrial commercial uses include schools, universities, hotels, restaurants, leisure centres, and shopping centres. In fact, most applications requiring heating and hot water can significantly benefit from heat pumps.
Are There Grants For Industrial Heat Pumps
The short answer is yes. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is offering grants to businesses to incorporate sustainability into their work. A large part of Ireland’s CO2 emissions come from processing. Adding heat recovery pumps into your business can reuse energy that may have been wasted otherwise which makes you more energy efficient. You can read more about this at seai.ie.
Why Use MasterTherm For Your Industrial Heat Pump solution?
A MasterTherm heat pump can be an efficient way of repurposing heat energy that otherwise would have been wasted. This is particularly relevant for large commercial or industrial users. We have multiple examples of how we can work with clients to maximize their savings and deliver efficiency via their heating and hot water systems. This enables companies to move to a more sustainable and economical platform for the future operation of their business.
For customers, Mastertherm heat pumps offer the added bonus of being ultra-quiet. The full range offers a 7-year warranty giving the end user peace of mind. The efficiency of the range also leads to lower heating bills and the flexibility that the system can be controlled easily from a tablet or phone.
Mastertherm will design and tailor a personalised heating system to suit your needs, whether it’s for a complex monitored heating and cooling system using rejected heat or a central heating system with the cooling requirements. Mastertherm will ensure that your business is getting the maximum benefit and efficiency from your heat pump system.
If you’re looking for a heating and hot water solution for a large complex building we may suggest multiple heat pumps working together. If you are unsure about how to start the journey to renewables using heat pumps, contact us and we can discuss bespoke designs for your property.