In the UK, 25% of final energy consumption is attributed to
the industrial sector (DECC, 2013) which also accounts for one
third of the electricity consumption. However it is estimated
that between 20 to 50 percent of industrial energy consumption
is ultimately wasted as heat (Johnson et al., 2008). Unlike
material waste that is clearly visible, waste heat can be difficult
to identify and evaluate both in terms of quantity and quality.
Hence by being able to understand the availability of waste
heat, and the ability to recover it, there is an opportunity to
reduce energy costs and associated environmental impacts. This
research describes the design of a novel framework that aids
manufacturers in making decisions regarding the most suitable
solution to recover Waste Heat Energy (WHE) from their
activities. The framework consists of four major sections: 1)
survey of waste heat sources in a facility; 2) assessment of
waste heat quantity and quality; 3) selection of appropriate
technology; 4) decision making and recommendations. In order
to support the implementation of the framework within the
manufacturing industry, an associated software tool is
discussed.