New project MEMPHIS 2.0 kicks off

The integration of waste heat into district heating networks is a key measure towards decarbonization of the energy system. However, the identification and evaluation of available waste heat sources on local scale, including waste heat from industry, service sectors and sewage systems, can be a real challenge.

The “MEMPHIS 2.0” project contributes to the wider exploitation of low-grade waste heat sources in urban areas by further developing the existing “Waste Heat Explorer” (WHE) tool, which purpose is to assist the technical design and the rapid evaluation of business potential of waste heat sources. The features of the tool will be expanded in order to evaluate the economic potential of waste heat recovery systems and allow the download of tailor-made reports and assessments. For any located waste heat source, the findings of MEMPHIS 2.0 will be publicly available on the tool.

The software will allow users to adapt the input parameters to local conditions or find suitable conditions for an economical feasible waste heat utilization. Additionally, prospective waste heat sources are added, and the methodology is applied to further cities in Austria, Germany and Italy. The results are then compared to two real life examples by their technical and economical key metrics.

The project kicked off last week and will last until 2023. Eurac Research is among the project partners and will analyze the applicability of the tool in Italy, providing a waste heat survey for three Italian cities (Ospitaletto, Bolzano, and Trento). The top-down approach developed with the tool, mainly exploiting databases and proxy values, will be validated with a bottom-up analysis investigating single sources.

Further information about the project MEMPHIS 2.0