Reduce, Reuse, Reheat: Department of Energy Recognizes Better Climate Challenge Partner General Motors for Turning Waste Heat Into Power – CleanTechnica

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Reduce, Reuse, Reheat: Department of Energy Recognizes Better Climate Challenge Partner General Motors for Turning Waste Heat Into Power

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized Better Climate Challenge and Better Plants Challenge partner General Motors (GM) for its achievements and leadership in decarbonization, energy efficiency, and waste reduction. GM’s Fort Wayne Assembly plant received a 2024 Better Project Award for reducing carbon emissions by 30% through a steam elimination and heat recovery system.

“As a Better Climate Challenge Goal Achiever, GM has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and is sharing its successful strategies with others,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. “Learning from leaders is key to accelerating the clean energy economy of the future.”

GM eliminated steam usage for comfort heating and freeze protection at its Fort Wayne Assembly Plant by transitioning from a large, natural gas-fired steam system to a combined heat and power solution. The new system uses heat exchangers to recover waste heat from pre-existing landfill gas powered generators onsite. This recovered heat is sufficient to provide more than 80% of the site’s building heating needs while reducing natural gas usage onsite. As a result of this work, GM reduced site natural gas usage and associated carbon emissions by 30%, contributing to its Better Climate Challenge Goal Achievement in 2023. GM is evaluating other sites where this solution can be replicated as part of an additional Better Plants goal to reduce energy use by 25% across 33 facilities.

GM is one of more than 80 industrial sector partners participating in the Better Climate Challenge. GM is one of 5 of these partners that have achieved their goal of 50% greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal, with GM achieving its goal six years ahead of its target.

The Better Climate Challenge is a component of the Better Buildings Initiative, through which DOE partners with public and private sector organizations to make commercial, public, industrial, and residential buildings more efficient, thereby saving energy and money while reducing emissions and strengthening the economy. To date, more than 900 Better Buildings partners have saved more than $15 billion in energy costs while sharing their innovative strategies. Discover more than 3,000 of these solutions in the Better Buildings Solution Center

Courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy.