What Happens to Industrial Waste Heat?

A Real Energy Concept from Bach Resistor Ceramics GmbH

Industrial manufacturing generates large amounts of waste heat every day. In many cases, this energy is released into the environment without being used, while additional energy is consumed elsewhere for heating and cooling.

This video documents a real industrial energy concept implemented at Bach Resistor Ceramics in Germany. It shows how waste heat from high-temperature sintering processes is captured, stored, and reused instead of being discarded.

The project combines process cooling, thermal storage systems, heat pumps, and photovoltaic power to create an integrated energy system. Waste heat from ceramic furnaces is transferred via cooling water, conditioned in a cooling container, stored in large thermal storage tanks, and reused for space heating and hot water supply in a new production building.

By redesigning the energy and heat distribution infrastructure, groundwater usage was significantly reduced, overall efficiency was improved, and industrial waste heat became a usable resource rather than a loss.