Total Performance Assessment Method for Industrial Process Heat Systems
Abstract
An integrated assessment methodology combining performance criteria for energy, environment and financial impact of investment decisions is presented. The method uses weighting factors allowing to adapt a combined criterium according to individual or case specific preferences. The assessment is done in relation to the total required process heat in a unit which may be a company or a district heating grid, and furthermore related to the units of production. In this way a total cost value may be internalized in the production cost of the products. The applicability of comparatively assessment of very different measures on all three performance areas is shown by a quantitative calculation example, where a solar thermal installation is compared to energy efficiency measures.