Transforming Renewable Energy Technologies with Thermal Energy Recovery

Across the U.S., more than 180,000 steam boilers support industrial, institutional, and commercial facilities. In many of these systems, high-pressure steam is throttled down to lower pressures using mechanical pressure-reducing valves (PRVs)—a process that traditionally wastes significant energy. Emerging turbine technologies now make it possible to recover that lost energy by converting steam pressure drops into reliable, on-site electricity. This thermal-to-electric conversion can deliver over 2 million kWh of annual savings across each PRV and represents up to 49 GW of untapped generation potential nationwide.
This presentation will explore how new innovations in backpressure steam turbine design are turning everyday PRVs into clean power generators—helping end users reduce costs, decarbonize operations, ease grid demand, and enhance energy resilience. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of thermal energy recovery opportunities and the technologies making them viable, scalable, and impactful today.