Generation and Use of Thermal Energy in the U.S. Industrial Sector and Opportunities to Reduce its Carbon Emissions

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 UTC 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1335587· OSTI ID:1335587

McMillan, Colin ^[1]; Boardman, Richard ^[2]; McKellar, Michael ^[2]; Sabharwall, Piyush ^[2]; Ruth, Mark ^[1]; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon ^[2]

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1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

This report quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the industrial sector and identifies opportunities for non-GHG-emitting thermal energy sources to replace the most significant GHG-emitting U.S. industries based on targeted, process-level analysis of industrial heat requirements. The intent is to provide a basis for projecting opportunities for clean energy use. This provides a prospectus for small modular nuclear reactors (including nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems), solar industrial process heat, and geothermal energy. This report provides a complement to analysis of process-efficiency improvement by considering how clean energy delivery and use by industry could reduce GHG emissions.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Strategic Programs (SP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1335587
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP--6A50-66763; INL/EXT--16-39680
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
carbon dioxide
CARBON FOOTPRINT
EMISSION
geothermal energy
GEOTHERMAL PROCESS HEAT
greenhouse gas emissions
GREENHOUSE GASES
HYBRID SYSTEMS
industrial heat
INDUSTRY
JISEA
MINIMIZATION
nuclear power
nuclear-renewable power
REACTORS
reducing emissions
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
solar industrial process heat
SOLAR PROCESS HEAT