Industrial heating systems - how safe is the gas supply?

The horrendous rise in energy prices, the fear of Putin stopping supplies, the demand for renewable energies to combat climate change - all of this is currently causing a great deal of uncertainty. Is it still worth investing in gas-powered industrial heating systems? The answer to this question is important. Because it determines how quickly trade and industry will make their contribution to the energy transition. And how well it will be possible to meet the future requirement of climate protection in an economically viable way.

The difference between residential and industrial buildings is where the misunderstanding begins

The uncertainty is great. Is it still worth investing in gas-powered hall heating at all? Doubts are also fueled by media coverage. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants a ban on new gas heating systems, for example, according to a bold statement¹⁾. Relevant details are sometimes overlooked. This is because the Federal Minister also said that the "phase-out" of gas heating systems only applies to new gas heating systems for residential buildings (with a transitional period of several years), but explicitly not to gas-powered industrial heating systems. Due to their drastic energy-saving potential, infrared radiant heaters are often the only sensible option in production, storage and other hall buildings to heat the enormous room volumes flexibly, economically and CO₂-saving heating.

What options the industry has

If you carefully examine the options available to companies, it quickly becomes clear: beyond ideological considerations, there is a clear picture when it comes to hall heating. Whether gas, electricity, oil or hydrogen: all energy sources are expensive. The highest costs are for electricity. To make matters worse, availability is limited in some cases. This is particularly true for hydrogen. Experts assume that it will take another two decades or so before the green gas can completely replace fossil methane.

Which facts ensure an economic decision

Business management issues play a major role in the search for the right industrial heating system. This is because all commercial enterprises are committed to making a profit. Industrial heating systems are long-term investments whose operating costs exceed those of the investment by a factor of six to 20 over the life cycle, even before the explosion in energy costs. A sustainable and economically sensible decision in favor of one heating technology or another is therefore always based on the following questions:

• How do the total costs (consumption, energy, investment) differ?
• How flexible are the systems in terms of
  • Regulation,
  • Adjustments, e.g. in the event of changes in hall usage,
  • Possible uses of different energy sources (including renewable)?
• How exactly does the heating match the hall usage profile?

When answering these questions, it is better not to be guided by speculation. Because what the industry needs are reliable economic framework conditions and reliable facts.

Why halls need special heating systems

Halls are a building category in their own right. They differ fundamentally from other buildings due to their high ceilings, their room size and their changing usage profiles. The categorization by building type should therefore be as follows:

• Residential building (= multi-storey building),
• Non-residential buildings in multi-storey construction (e.g. office buildings, clinics, kindergartens),
• Non-residential buildings in non-storey construction with room heights > four meters (= hall buildings).

This distinction is relevant for selecting the right heating technology and energy source for halls. Multi-storey buildings such as residential and office buildings, kindergartens or hospitals with clear heights of around 2.50 meters are relatively easy to heat. Halls with ceiling heights of four to 40 meters and several hundred or even thousand square meters of floor space, on the other hand, are a real challenge in terms of heating technology for reasons of building physics alone. If you want to heat these buildings in a functional, economical and ecologically sensible way, use Heating types specially developed for halls.
Among the most efficient are modern industrial heaters such as infrared radiant heaters that run on natural gas, liquid gas or biogas. However, these modern high-efficiency technologies have nothing in common with gas heating systems used in homes or offices.

How much CO₂-reduction potential in industrial heating systems

Two percent of all buildings in Germany are responsible for 15 percent of building-related energy consumption and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore worth taking a closer look at hall buildings. After all, they play a key role in the success of the energy transition. The focus here is on upgrading the energy efficiency of existing buildings to current new-build standards. The potential savings that can be achieved here are analyzed in the overall analysis of the energy efficiency of hall buildings, or GAEEH study for short.³⁾ is estimated at 59 to 89 billion kilowatt hours per year, around 6 to 14 percent of total annual energy consumption Space heating! The savings potential is divided roughly 1:1 between system and on-site measures. In one fell swoop, around half of the potential could be tapped through (relatively inexpensive) system modernization alone - around 38 billion kWh energy savings p. a. (mean value). This corresponds to an annual equivalent of approx. eight million tons of the greenhouse gas CO₂. The technologies with which these savings can be achieved have long been available and can be implemented relatively easily and cost-effectively.

Which heating systems the industry (does not) need

Heat pumps are currently in vogue in private households and other multi-storey buildings. In the hall building sector, however, their use makes less functional and economic sense due to their low flexibility and relatively high investment and operating costs. In these buildings, decentralized, gas-powered industrial heaters such as infrared dark radiators represent the state of the art. These heaters are modern, high-efficiency systems and are considered the golden standard in industrial, commercial and municipal buildings - both economically and ecologically. There are several reasons for this: these industrial heaters

• sustainably reduce energy consumption by 30 - 70 percent⁴⁾
• offer rapid amortization and high environmental benefits
• react quickly and precisely to changing heating requirements
• Can be flexibly adapted to changes in use
• can be operated variably with methane, green hydrogen and/or biogas
• create a pleasant, uniform, draught-free working environment
• can be expanded with condensing boiler technology to create hybrid systems and even digital hall heating systems
• are often the only sensible solution for existing buildings

How exploding energy costs can be contained

The savings potential of decentralized infrared dark radiators in the industrial heating sector is between 30 and 70 percent. They represent a very effective lever for reducing rising energy costs. The record holders in the savings discipline include digitized infrared dark radiators, ideally in combination with condensing boiler technology (hybrid system). These systems are specifically designed for the particular room dimensions and conditions of use in halls. They can be implemented very simply, very economically and quickly. The practical example of a mechanical engineering company in North Rhine-Westphalia shows how interesting this technology is for industrial and commercial enterprises⁵⁾. There, the energy costs for heating the 6,300 square meters of hall space could be reduced by around 65 percent: from 71,500 euros to 25,000 euros per year. Based on current energy prices, this would mean a cost reduction from around 170,000 euros to around 83,300 euros - a saving of around 86,700 euros⁶⁾.

Liquid, bio or green - modern industrial heating systems can use any gas

Decentralized infrared dark radiators have long been able to be operated regeneratively, e.g. with biogas. The new generations can also run on hydrogen. Green gas makes it possible to restructure the economy in a climate-friendly way and at the same time strengthen Germany as a technology location. As the "engine of the energy transition", H2 is seen worldwide as a central building block for decarbonizing the economy and thus for achieving the Paris climate protection targets. Green hydrogen is seen as the only way to make certain industrial processes climate-friendly. Germany benefits from its excellently developed gas supply network and has set itself ambitious targets as part of its national hydrogen strategy. Hydrogen is to be produced from 100 percent renewable energies by 2050⁷⁾.
However, it is clear that the conversion process will not happen overnight. It will be some time before green gas is available in large enough quantities to fully cover industrial demand. Even in the transition period, heating technologies such as infrared dark radiators will play an important role. They can utilize hydrogen blends with variable proportions and thus compensate for the volatile availability of both energy sources. These technologies are already available today, for example KÜBLER's efficient infrared hall heating technology.

How Germany secures its gas supply

Why there is no alternative to gas for industry

Germany is the fourth largest industrial location in the world after the USA, China and Japan. Natural gas is by far the most important industrial energy source, accounting for a good 31 percent. Over seven million jobs in Germany depend on its availability - and with over 30 percent of the gross national product, a very significant part of our prosperity⁸⁾.
Gas cannot be replaced in the short term without paralyzing important production processes, losing many jobs, jeopardizing international competitiveness and risking social security in the country. There is still no alternative to natural gas for industry in the long term. Politicians from all parties and countries agree on this.

How Germany secures its gas supply

The importance of gas as a versatile and flexible energy source for Germany as an industrial location is not the only argument in its favor. The high efficiency of gas applications and the excellently developed infrastructure also make this low-carbon energy source a valuable commodity. That is why we are working hard to secure the gas supply in Germany. Politicians are working in several directions:

• Promote energy efficiency, i.e. use as little energy as possible,
• Increase LNG availability,
• Fill gas storage tanks,
• Accelerating green gas.

These measures contribute to three important goals of the BWMK. Politicians want to make Germany independent of Russian energy supplies as quickly as possible. At the same time, the jobs and international competitiveness of our technology location should remain secure. And thirdly, the decarbonization of the economy is to be driven forward in order to achieve the Paris climate targets.

Significant progress on the road to independence

Significant progress has been made on the way to a broader basis for energy supply in Germany. Dependence on Russian gas and oil has fallen by around 20 percent compared to the previous year. In the case of oil from around 35 percent to 12 percent, and in the case of gas from around 55 percent to just 35 percent. Even more drastically, coal imports have been reduced from 50 to 8 percent as a result of the import ban⁹⁾.

How liquid gas offers great security of supply

The planning and realization of new LNG terminals is booming across Europe - both onshore and offshore. Countries such as France, Italy and Spain are well ahead of us. In addition to smaller plants, 29 plants with relevant capacities are currently in operation in Europe¹⁰⁾. Now Germany is following suit in record time. The pile driving for the first floating LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven took place at the beginning of May. Germany's "declaration of independence" from Putin's gas is being built in record time and is due to go into operation at the end of 2022. Further terminals will follow in quick succession, for example in Stade and Brunsbüttel, driven by the LNG Acceleration Act passed on May 20.

To date, LNG has been fed into the European pipeline network at the terminals in Belgium and the Netherlands and transported to Germany. LNG (liquefied natural gas) is natural gas that is liquefied at temperatures of around -162 °C and then only requires a fraction of its original volume (1:600). The great advantage of LNG is that it can be purchased on practically any market in the world and transported by ship. LNG is the energy source that offers great security of supply in the transition period until the large-scale use of renewable energies.

How the gas storage tanks are filled

As far as the security of gas supply is concerned, several adjustments are being made, including the filling level of German gas storage facilities. They are currently being filled step by step - to at least 80 percent by October 1 and to 90 percent by November 1. This would then correspond to a capacity of 229.5 terawatt hours - enough to cover around a quarter of annual gas consumption and get us through the winter, even if Russia were to turn off the gas tap.

Practical tips: What experts advise now

Practical tip 1: Quickly and effectively counteract price increases for heating energy

Energy prices have risen to new heights in recent months. In May, a megawatt hour (MWh) on the Dutch TTF exchange cost around ten to 20 times as much as a year ago¹¹⁾. Experts recommend cushioning these enormous price increases next winter:

• Learning to understand the heating technology of hall buildings with the aim of using all possible levers to make savings
• to reduce energy consumption as quickly as possible,
• to use economical and future-proof technologies,
• renewable energies.

Practical tip 2: Exploit efficiency potential as quickly as possible

Due to their size and high ceilings, hall buildings have a much higher energy consumption than office buildings or other multi-storey buildings, for example, if they are to be warm in winter. However, far too much energy is often wasted. The reasons for this:

• outdated or inefficient system technology,
• inaccurate control,
• the heating does not match the hall's usage profile,
• Other important potential savings, such as residual heat, are overlooked.

Special decentralized industrial heating systems with gaseous energy sources developed for use in hall buildings often offer impressive savings of 30 - 70 percent. These can be achieved quickly, cost-effectively and economically.

Practical tip 3: Don't chase the weather

Industrial heaters such as infrared dark radiators can be adapted very flexibly to different usage requirements, regardless of whether they are powered by fossil fuels or regenerative energy. They therefore fulfill another important requirement of industry, which may have to adapt its processes spontaneously to dynamic market requirements. Infrared dark radiators have fast heat-up times. This means that additional shifts can be run at short notice if necessary. In addition, individual hall zones can be controlled individually - heating only takes place in the areas where work is being carried out.
Flexibility is one of the important points in which gas-fired hall heating systems differ from hot water-based technologies (e.g. heat pumps). Heat pumps are useful in the home or in offices. These hot water-based systems can hardly meet the dynamic requirements of industry due to their inertia. In addition, they require an enormous amount of space either under the hall ceiling or in the floor and also limit flexibility here. For example, when setting up machinery or converting the hall. Once the underfloor heating has been installed, the floor can no longer be easily drilled into in order to relocate or reinstall machines.

Practical tip 4: Optimize the operation of your industrial heating system

The most economical heating system is the one you don't need. Experts therefore advise:

• Only use systems that offer fast heat-up times and are flexible.
• Only heat where high-quality heat is really needed for people.
• Lower the temperatures for unfrequented areas of the hall in good time.

By the way: Intelligent heating controls with integrated energy management systems (e.g. E.M.M.A. from KÜBLER) create transparency about the relevant parameters of your heating process and help to automatically run the heating system on the ideal line. The optimized operation of the system alone offers potential savings of up to 20 percent.

References

1) Source: https://www.report-k.de/wirtschaftsminister-habeck-will-verbot-neuer-gasheizungen/
2) Basis of the price comparison: Cheapest tariff, term 12 months.
Electricity, commercial gas: Verivox, quantity 100,000 kWh; heating oil: heizoel24.de, quantity 10,000 l (approx. 10 kWh/l); pellets: HeizPellets24.de, quantity: 20,000 kg (5 kWh/kg).
3) The study "Gesamtanalyse Energieeffizienz von Hallengebäuden" (ITG Institut für Technische Gebäudeausrüstung Dresden and University of Kassel, Department of Building Physics, 2009-2011) is based on the following figures:

• Total energy consumption for space heating in Germany: 625 billion kWh, of which
• Share of space heating in residential buildings (18 million): 428 billion kWh,
• Share of space heating in hall buildings (359,000 of 1.5 million non-residential buildings, built between 1960 and 2009): 116 billion kWh,
• Share of space heating in other non-residential buildings (1.14 million): 81 billion kWh,

Renovation potential for hall buildings: 64 percent.
The dena Building Report 2022 does not specifically address hall buildings. However, both the building stock and climate-adjusted heat consumption continued to rise in 2019.
4) Energy-saving hall heating systems from KÜBLER compared to conventional devices.
5) Energy-efficient refurbishment project with H.Y.B.R.I.D. (dark radiators, condensing boiler technology and digital control from KÜBLER GmbH Energiesparende Hallenheizungen, Ludwigshafen)
6) Calculation basis: original energy price in the gas/oil mix Ø approx. 0.05 Euro / kWh, current energy price: Ø 0.13 Euro / kWh
7) https://www.pwc.de/de/energiewirtschaft/wasserstoff-ein-essentieller-baustein-der-energiewende/chance-zur-dekarbonisierung-gruener-wasserstoff-als-motor-der-energiewende.html?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=XM_trustintransformation_SV&utm_content=text&utm_term=gr%C3%BCner%20wasserstoff
8) https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/wirtschaft/gasversorgung-energiesicherheit-deutschland-pipelines-russland-100.html
9) Handelsblatt 01.05.2022, https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/import-deutschland-verringert-energieabhaengigkeit-von-russland/28293452.html
10) Source: Chemietechnik 25.02.2022, https://www.chemietechnik.de/energie-utilities/interaktive-karte-lng-terminals-in-europa-802.html
11) https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/energiekrise-gaspreis-bricht-alle-rekorde-forderung-nach-preisdeckel/28139228.html

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