Low-Carbon Energy for Industry

Research output: NRELPresentation

Abstract

The industrial sector is a major energy user. In the U.S., it uses 26 quadrillion Btu (quad) annually of the total U.S. energy load of 98 quad/yr. Globally, the industrial fraction of energy use is similar - 29%. Finding and developing low carbon energy sources for industrial energy is challenging because the sector is heterogenous and primarily requires heat. Heat is less fungible than electricity because it has a variety of temperature and quantity requirements and current technologies are incapable of moving heat efficiently across long distances. Heat integration is very common within facilities but cross-facility heat integration and valorization could provide new opportunities. NREL has performed work to identify opportunities for use of geothermal, nuclear, and solar integrated process heat in industry that are presented. A key challenge is matching the requirements of a heat load with the low carbon generation options.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages10
StatePublished - 2019

Publication series

NamePresented at the 2019 JISEA Annual Meeting, 13-14 March 2019, Golden, Colorado

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/PR-6A50-73694

Keywords

  • cross facility
  • energy load
  • heat integration
  • industrial energy
  • low carbon

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