Expansion of scope of the targeted projects for the subsidy application on the heat pump – Application for additional installation of heat pumps in existing heat supply system also become possible –
For the subsidy for the investment to promote energy conservation, “Business Support Projects such as Rationalization of Energy Use, etc.”, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the application requirements for the project to introduce industrial heat pumps have been relaxed.
In the past, the application was possible only in the case where the existing heat source equipment is replaced to heat pumps, but since FY2018, it has also become possible in the case where a heat pump is additionally installed in the existing heat supply system. Industrial heat pumps refer to the heat pumps that supply high temperature water, hot air and steam to heat demand of manufacturing processes in factories. They can be applied to various production processes such as cleaning, heating, sterilization and drying.
On the other aspects, since there are many cases where the heat demand fluctuates in the manufacturing process, it should be considered for energy conservation that the industrial heat pump can be operated with high efficiency if the boiler is used to deal with the leveling of the heat load so-called “wrinkle removal” in the process with low and sudden heat load. For these reasons, it becomes common for industrial heat pumps to be additionally installed in existing heat supply systems and to form a hybrid system with multiple heat sources. In the financial support projects up to the last fiscal year, companies could not apply for the subsidy in such additional installation of heat pumps, but have been able to apply for the subsidy in the “factory / workplace unit” of the financial support project since FY 2018.
The public offering period is until July 3. It is expected that application cases for industrial heat pumps will be increased, while only three applications were adopted as the project in FY 2017. Once adopted as the project, users can reduce the investment cost and improve investment efficiency. Relaxation of application requirements is applied to heat pumps for buildings in addition to industrial heat pumps. The details can also referred to the website of Nippon Electro Heat Center and Heat Pump · Thermal Storage Center.
Source: Monthly Magazine “Energy Conservation”