Optimal design of solar-assisted industrial processes considering heat pumping: Case study of a dairy

It is illustrated that integration of solar energy can contribute to strongly reduce the environmental impact of the process (65-75% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions), but only in combination with heat recovery (27%) and an improved heat pump system (33%). Heat recovery and heat pump placement for industrial processes are hereby shown to reduce exergy destruction and total cost while improving system energy efficiency by means of thermo-economic optimization. The solutions show that investment in solar energy can be economically and environmentally attractive for industrial processes by considering the whole system and ensuring that solar energy is optimally integrated and utilized.