Modelling of Wastewater Heat Recovery Heat Pump Systems

Wastewater heat recovery is currently an underutilized technology that could be part of solving the climate crisis. A large portion of the heat that leaves a building in the form of wastewater is potentially recoverable for pre-heating domestic hot water or other service water systems. While there are several different approaches to wastewater heat recovery, this project focused on creating detailed, integrated building models for wastewater heat recovery heat pump systems. EnergyPlus models were developed featuring inputs and assumptions corresponding to manufacturers' specifications, performance lab test data and feedback from engineering consultants. EnergyPlus's supervisory control Energy Management System objects were heavily relied upon to overcome modelling challenges. The developed EnergyPlus model was integrated into U.S. Department of Energy New Construction Reference Building models for various climate zones and building types to assess potential energy use, energy cost and greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Automated summary

Wastewater heat recovery technology is an underutilized solution that can help mitigate the climate crisis by utilizing the excess heat emitted from buildings. This project focuses on creating detailed models for wastewater heat recovery heat pump systems to assess energy use, cost savings, and greenhouse gas emission reductions. EnergyPlus models are developed to account for various climate zones and building types, providing a comprehensive analysis of the potential benefits of wastewater heat recovery.