Knowledge
Connect electricity decisions to the temperature, timing and reliability of a useful heat service. Compare direct electric heating, heat pumps and electrically charged thermal storage on one process boundary.
This centre covers process heat, heat recovery, heat pumps, thermal storage and their electrical interfaces. Heating examples use MWh_th and MWh_e explicitly; they do not turn stored heat into electrical backup capacity. Cooling requires a separate cold-service boundary and performance data.
1. Start from the service, including temperature
A factory purchases a useful thermal service: a fluid or material must reach a stated condition, at a stated rate and time. Heat quantity alone cannot describe that duty. Supply/return temperatures, steam pressure and quality, flow, contamination constraints, ramp rate and permitted interruption can determine whether a technology is usable.
Define the measurement point after the relevant heat exchanger and distribution losses. Compare delivered MWh_th with electrical MWh_e or fuel MWh on a stated heating-value basis. Hot storage media are not proof that the required process outlet temperature or steam condition can be maintained.
Alternative electrical and thermal service paths
2. Heat pumps move heat; direct heating converts electricity
A heat pump supplies useful heat by combining electrical work with heat drawn from a source. Heating COP is useful heat output divided by electrical input at stated operating conditions. It is not an electrical conversion efficiency and must be tied to source/sink temperatures, flow and part-load operation. IEA heat-pump resources [H2–H3] explain this boundary.
Direct resistance or electrode heating does not depend on an external low-temperature heat source in the same way, but electrical capacity and process compatibility still matter. A heat pump with an attractive COP remains unsuitable if its verified delivery temperature, available source heat or response cannot support the process.
Study the related lesson and worked case →3. Thermal storage shifts timing, not the service requirement
Thermal storage separates charging from heat delivery. A review must follow electrical charging power, conversion to stored heat, the usable temperature window, holding losses and heat-exchanger discharge. ARENA/HILT’s practical guide [H1] treats TES as part of an integrated thermal system rather than an isolated vessel.
Flexible electric heating can help a microgrid use available electricity at different times, while a protected process reserve can preserve production. Such flexibility must be reconciled with actual charging windows and network capacity. Lower off-peak electricity prices do not, by themselves, establish lower lifecycle costs or permission to interrupt production.
Study the related lesson and worked case →Sources and review date
Reviewed 26 October 2026. Text, diagrams and exercises are original. All numerical cases use stated teaching assumptions, rather than site measurements or manufacturer commitments. These primary sources support the technical background; verify their applicability to each project.
[H1] ARENA / HILT CRC · TES for Industrial Process Heat: A Practical Guide (2026) ↗
Integrated assessment of process heat and thermal storage.
[H2] IEA · How a Heat Pump Works ↗
Heat-source, useful-output and COP concepts.
[H3] IEA · Heat Pump Monitor 2026: Key Findings ↗
Industrial integration, temperature and economic context.
[H4] DOE · Industrial Heat Pumps for Steam and Fuel Savings ↗
Foundational engineering explanation; not a current local approval rule.