Recovering waste heat in buildings

摘要

Space heating is the single largest energy end use in most building types. The surprising fact is there is a lot of waste heat that goes unused. Hospitals and laboratories are two of the highest energy-use-intensity building types. Regardless as to whether a conventional hospital or lab is in Miami or New York City, the largest single energy consumer is the heating plant. This is because the heating load in hospitals and labs is largely reheat, which is not a climate- dependent load. Traditional, centralized HVAC systems with code-required air-change rates typically use reheat to keep the spaces comfortable. Any heat that can be recovered in these building types can be used to reduce the heating energy.