Waste heat to power (WHP) is the process of capturing heat discarded by existing thermal processes, and using that heat to generate emissions-free power. Energy intensive industries such as refineries, steel mills, glass furnaces, and cement kilns as well as many building thermal processes such as boilers and furnaces all release hot exhaust gases and other waste streams that can be harnessed to generate electricity. Organic Rankine cycle systems (ORC’s) can be applied to low temperature waste heat streams (as low as 175 F) allowing users to generate power from a variety of waste heat sources commony available as a by-product of daily operations.

Recovering and turning heat that would otherwise be wasted into zero-emissions power through the use of an ORC can provide significant energy and cost savings for the user. ORC’s can recover heat from waste streams at lower temperatures than is possible with conventional steam Rankine systems, and because ORCs operate at relatively low pressure, they can operate unattended and fully automated in most locations. ORCs are not susceptible to freezing like steam systems, and can utilize air-cooled condensers without negatively impacting performance.

Beyond process and building waste heat streams, ORCs can recover power from a variety of heat sources including gas turbine or engine exhausts, solar thermal systems, geothermal heat sources and biomass as shown in the figure below.