Technology Research Area:

Waste Heat Assessment

What is waste heat, and what does it have to do with TVA's mission?

TVA has many industrial and commercial customers that generate waste heat as a byproduct of their production processes. The capture and use of waste heat to generate power would add power to the grid with no increase in emissions, increase production efficiency and reduce the minimum amount of generation needed to meet customer requirements.

What is TVA doing about it?

TVA is identifying and assessing industries from Memphis to Bristol that produce waste heat for recovery opportunities. This survey assessment will document and categorize the industry type, process, location, and amount and quality of waste heat produced. Researchers will determine cost-benefit feasibility for waste heat recovery and use at each location.

Additionally, commercially available technologies for capturing and processing the waste heat will be assessed, documented and recommended for each category of industrial processes identified. A waste heat white paper will document the results and recommendations of the research effort.

The top ten most favorable industrial customers and applicable waste heat recovery technologies will be identified for future waste heat recovery demonstration projects.

What are the possibilities for waste heat?

There are several TVA programs — such as the Valley Investment Initiative, Generation Partners, the Major Industrial Program and Energy Efficiency, and the Dispersed Power Program — that provide incentives and outreach to industrial customers for energy efficiency improvements, load reductions and peak power generation. Waste heat recovery is a technology that offers power users all those benefits. Waste heat is an untapped resource that could greatly expand clean power generation in the TVA region.