The Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) and Aratherm have developed a free online tool to help major energy users estimate how a ‘heat battery’ used to supply process heat can help cut energy costs and emissions for their operations.
With just a few basic inputs on current process heat demands and gas use for heat, the Heat Battery Estimator provides the cost and emission savings offered by electric thermal batteries of different capacities.
A2EP CEO, Jarrod Leak, said Australia has an abundance of excess renewable electricity during the day.
“There’s a range of heat battery technologies available right now which industrial energy users could charge up during these times of zero or negative-cost electricity to supply decarbonised heat around the clock for their processes,” Leak said.
“The Heat Battery Estimator provides powerful information for Australian manufacturers to start considering these clean heat options to reduce the impact and risk of fossil gas costs and emissions to their businesses.
“The tool also shows the impact of network tariffs on the economics of implementing a heat battery and the urgent need for all network operators to be offering flexible demand connections”
The tool will help energy users understand the operational costs for a heat battery in a hybrid set-up complimenting existing gas boiler systems operating in the Australian National Electricity Market.
Aratherm director, Dr Nathan Steggel, said not many people realise that right now in Australia electric heat options can be cheaper than gas.
“Amidst the uncertainty around gas supply and costs, the Heat Battery Estimator will let manufacturing and energy managers understand how they can use renewable heat batteries to control costs and improve their energy resilience,” Steggel said.
The Heat Battery Estimator is now free to use at heatbatteryestimator.com