Feasibility of Effluent Heat Recovery for a Zero Carbon Wastewater Treatment Plant
The feasibility of effluent heat recovery at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was explored with the intent of identifying a path towards zero carbon emissions by eliminating onsite combustion.
An analysis of historical effluent flow and temperature data at the WWTP demonstrated that there is sufficient thermal resource in the effluent stream to meet all heating requirements of the WWTP buildings and processes.
The study outlined a potential concept design to replace the existing duel fuel boiler with an effluent source heat pump system that can completely eliminate the need for natural gas and digester gas.
The study quantified the probable cost and greenhouse gas savings associated with the conceptual waste heat recovery system and demonstrated that effluent heat recovery is financially viable when it offsets the combustion of revenue-generating renewable natural gas RNG).
The waste heat recovery, in conjunction with collecting and exporting digester gas as RNG, was shown to reduce carbon emissions by 550 tonnes; a 99.8% reduction in carbon associated with heating at the WWTP.
Speaker Bio
Jarrett has been working in the renewable energy sector for more than 15 years. He has a breadth of knowledge, including solar thermal systems, photovoltaics, building energy systems, earth and wastewater energy systems, energy storage, complex heat-transfer mechanisms, and net-zero building design. Jarrett has become the J.L.Richards go-to for carbon reduction feasibility and strategy development in buildings, having supported more than 30 buildings in the past two years alone. He has worked on very innovative projects in waste heat transfer and strategy options for decarbonizing major Canadian campuses. Jarrett has performed independent engineering review of dozens of utility-scale and commercial rooftop PV systems, serving as the technical lead throughout the construction of over 300 MW of projects.
In his current role as Chief Energy Systems Engineer and Associate at J.L. Richards, Jarrett is a part of a multidisciplinary team of engineers and architects and provides senior expertise, peer review and project management for a broad range of renewable and innovative energy projects. His competence and breadth of knowledge have been the keys to successful adoption of new approaches by J.L.Richards design teams and by clients alike.
About JLR:
As a Platinum Club Canadian Best Managed Company, JLR provides high-quality, integrated engineering, architecture, planning, and project management services to enterprises in the private and public sectors. With seven offices across Ontario, JLR's professional services support various projects across five key markets, placing them at the cutting edge of value and service delivery. For information on how JLR can help with your next project, please visit www.jlrichards.ca.