Energy Strategy for ETH Zurich

Project: Analysis of energy efficiency in the chemical
industry
The research activities of the Safety and Environmental
Technology Group at ETH Zurich (www.sust-chem.ethz.
ch) are concentrated on energy efficiency in the chemical
industry. Optimization efforts are being supported
by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. The primary goal
of the project is the development of a dynamic equilibrium
(“energy balance”) for complex chemical production
processes. The current project involves production
processes for about 40 chemical products. The instruments
used for analysis and modeling allow for a calculation,
with an accuracy of 10%, of energy consumption
(steam, electricity, and cooling energy) for each
process activity, without requiring an individual measurement
of consumption. The potential for energy efficiency,
defined as a ratio of the thermodynamically
predetermined need to the actual energy quantity
required, is between 40 and 70% for individual process
units.
The results of the research will be generalized and
made available as a software solution for the monitoring
of energy efficiency at chemical production sites in
Switzerland and the EU. The implementation of potential
energy-saving measures and the investments required
for them are the responsibility of the individual
companies.
Energy Research at ETH Zurich
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