For industrial facilities facing the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs, industrial heat pumps (IHPs) present an effective solution to efficiently deliver low- to medium-temperature process heat for manufacturing.
The national Industrial Heat Pump (IHP) Alliance aims to support the adoption of this technology, which the US Department of Energy has named as a key solution for decarbonising the industrial sector.
The IHP Alliance’s new tool–the IHP Procurement Toolkit–will help facilities more easily procure this equipment to cut energy use, operational costs, and emissions.
The IHP Procurement Toolkit will help facilities communicate their project requirements to potential suppliers to simplify the competitive bidding process.
Commercially available IHPs could serve more than 30 per cent of industrial process heat demand, with applications in sectors such as food and beverage production, pulp and paper processing, and consumer goods manufacturing. Until now, however, the use of IHPs in the US has been constrained by low natural gas prices, limited domestic product availability, and a lack of communication between potential buyers and qualified suppliers.
The IHP Alliance is working to change this status quo. A collaborative initiative between the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and the Renewable Thermal Collaborative, the IHP Alliance looks to leverage its collective knowledge, networks, and experience to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and energy-efficient industrial sector.
The IHP Procurement Toolkit includes a request-for-quote template that eases the process for companies pursuing IHP technology. After answering questions about its technical, site, and budgetary needs, a facility can submit its responses to the provided list of suppliers, enabling competitive bids while reducing the need for extensive conversations with and potential site visits from numerous vendors. The template was developed in collaboration with IHP manufacturers and potential purchasers.
Richard Hart, Industry Director at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, said: “In these early stages of decarbonising industry, we’re looking for proven, efficient technologies that can deliver results today. Industrial heat pumps fit the bill, and their operating costs are attractive when you look at all of the benefits. We are going to help more facilities transition at every step of the process. Companies can use this toolkit to get bids more easily and ultimately benefit from heat pump technology.”
Steve Griffith, Executive Director, Regulatory & Industry Affairs, Mobility at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association said: “For far too long, our nation’s electrical manufacturers have faced obstacles in deploying clean energy technologies, like heat pumps, in their daily work. The launch of the IHP Procurement Toolkit is another important step forward in this coalition’s work to break through the barriers that electrical manufacturers and workers face when accessing important resources that will help our nation move towards an electrified and sustainable future.”
Blaine Collison, Executive Director of the Renewable Thermal Collaborative said: “RTC is working with global manufacturers across the industrial sector that are deeply interested in accelerating their deployments of IHPs as part of their decarbonisation strategies. The IHP Procurement Toolkit will help make that process easier for industrials, leading to faster decarbonisation. We’re really excited about this resource!”