The US industrial sector produces 24% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, over half of which come from thermal energy use to create the products we use and the food we eat. Until recently, this was the forgotten wedge of US climate emissions. To decarbonize industrial heat at the scale and speed needed to put the United States on a pathway to full decarbonization by 2050, the Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) has created a Renewable Thermal Energy Vision Report.
The report:
- Profiles U.S. industrial thermal energy emissions across sectors, temperature range (low, medium and high) and geographies;
- Evaluates renewable thermal fuel and technology costs (post-IRA) and commercial availability over time;
- Identifies 5 parallel pathways for industry to deploy renewable thermal technologies for key sectors, fuels and technologies;
- Features deep-dives in six sectors (food, refining, chemical, paper, cement, and iron & steel sectors) and eight technologies (electric resistance, green hydrogen, heat pumps, RNG, solar thermal, thermal storage, waste biomass and CCS).
The Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) is the global coalition for large energy buyers (companies, institutions, and governments) and solutions providers working together to scale up renewable heating and cooling in industry and buildings. The RTC is convened by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, World Wildlife Fund and David Gardiner and Associates.