Heat Recovery efficiency in power generation
In power generation, heat recovery is a major energy cost and a strong efficiency opportunity. Heat recovery captures energy that would otherwise be vented — from flue gas, hot process streams, compressors and refrigeration — and reuses it to preheat feedwater, air or process flows. Matching the grade of recovered heat to a real, coincident demand is the key.
Why it matters in power generation
Power plants — gas turbine, steam, biomass and combined-cycle — live and die by availability and heat rate. Critical assets like turbines, boilers, HRSGs and feedwater systems justify the most advanced predictive analytics, while every point of heat-rate improvement compounds across the year.
Much of the energy a plant buys leaves as low- and medium-grade waste heat. Recovering even part of it — with economisers, air preheaters, heat exchangers or heat pumps — directly cuts fuel use, and is a core no-regrets step in any decarbonization plan.
The efficiency levers
- Recover flue-gas heat with economisers/air preheaters
- Capture compressor and refrigeration reject heat
- Use heat exchangers between hot and cold streams
- Upgrade low-grade heat with industrial heat pumps
- Match recovered heat to a real, coincident demand
Energy-intensive equipment in power generation
- Gas and steam turbines
- Boilers and heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG)
- Feedwater heaters and condensers
- Pumps, fans and large motors
- Transformers and switchgear
Related
Heat Recovery efficiency guide · AI & efficiency in power generation · All efficiency topics