Retrofitting of building in Singapore 

Buildings account for 28% of global energy-related CO2-emissions. Furthermore, buildings in many advanced economies have long lifetimes and more than 85% of the current buildings stock is expected to be standing in 2050.[1] Retrofitting – modifying existing buildings with green technologies – is therefore crucial to reach net zero.[2]


Keppel Bay Tower in Singapore is an exceptional commercial building with an unparalleled location. The 18-story building, owned by Keppel REIT and managed by Keppel Land, has been certified as a Green Mark Platinum Zero Energy building by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), making it the first commercial building in Singapore to achieve this distinction.

 

Retrofitting the tower with energy efficiency solutions has been key to Keppel Bay Tower’s certification achievement. This includes retrofitting existing air handling units with new and emerging energy efficiency technologies to improve the energy efficiency of air ventilation in the building, which significantly reduced energy consumption in the Keppel Bay Tower.
  


Building renovation: where circular economy and climate meet — European Environment Agency

<red>Decarbonizing</red> buildings

View and download the case Retroffiting the Keppel Bay tower in Singapore resulted in 43% energy savings.

Towards zero-carbon-ready city areas

The challenge

Designing tomorrow’s green buildings

Curbing buildings’ emissions thanks to energy efficiency

Heat supply at local level

Heat control of buildings

Heat distribution and room control

A lighthouse project in decarbonizing cities

<red>Linde Haven</red>

Low-temperature operation

The solutions are ready

Conclusion

Linde Haven is a newly built sustainable city area where energy efficiency has been a central focus in all aspects of construction.

Digital retrofitting in Hanover

Global perspective

A municipal energy service provider improves energy efficiency and heightens the user experience of consumers.

Affordable heating in Brooklyn

Utilizing energy efficiency technologies into the integrated building design has produced energy savings.

Energy-efficient airport 

The new Istanbul Airport has efficiency at heart

<red>Decarbonizing</red> Buildings

Istanbul’s new airport will have an annual passenger capacity of up to 200 million. This vast airport is built with energy efficiency in mind. 

Energy-efficient airport

Nordhavn, Denmark’s energy lab  

EnergyLab Nordhavn showcases the latest energy solutions

Nordhavn, Scandinavia`s largest urban development project, is underway in Copenhagen. The project EnergyLab Nordhavn showcases the latest energy solutions. 

Nordhavn, Denmark’s energy lab

Retrofitting of Keppel Bay tower resulted in 43% energy savings.

How the Warsaw Metro can accelerate the green transition

Every time an engine or motor runs, it generates heat. Industries, wastewater facilities, data centers, supermarkets, metro stations, and commercial buildings all generate large amounts of energy, only some of which is used to productively carry out the intended task. The rest, however, simply dissipates into thin air as excess heat. This excess heat is a sleeping giant of energy efficiency. 

Today, heating is one of the largest energy consumers, especially in the temperate and cold regions of the world. In Europe alone, space and water heating accounts for 79% of final energy consumption in the residential sector, most of which is still generated using fossil-based sources, such as coal and natural gas. 

Poland has an extensive industrial sector and therefore a sizeable supply of excess heat. This means the opportunities to decarbonize heating in urban areas are readily available.

In this case, we zoom in on Warsaw, Poland to explore the potential of excess heat to reshape the energy landscape for heating in the city. We also provide an initial analysis of a new project to capture excess heat from the Warsaw Metro System and repurpose it in the city’s district heating system. With forward-thinking projects like these, Warsaw has the potential to become a pioneer of excess heat capture, thereby lowering overall energy demand, boosting the local economy, and accelerating the city’s green transition.



Learn more about excess heat in our whitepaper.

<red>Excess heat:</red> Poland’s largest untapped energy source?

Poland has the highest share of coal in total energy supply and demand of all International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries.

To address this, the Polish government has adopted the Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 (EPP2040), a comprehensive agenda for creating a just transition to a zero-emission energy system. One key target is to reduce the country’s reliance on coal, aiming “to meet heating demand for all households in a zero- or low-emission manner.”

Warsaw has the eyes of Europe upon it, and a golden opportunity to transform its energy system into a modernized, efficient system built for the era of renewables.

 Transforming Warsaw for a <red>net-zero future</red>

Europe’s largest district heating system

Decentralizing heating in Warsaw

Case:

Every year, a combined 62 GWh of heat are wasted from the metro stations. This is the equivalent to the heating demand for the homes of over 14,000 Polish people for a year. However, the majority of this metro's excess heat can be recovered and integrated into the district heating system to heat the homes, businesses, and domestic hot water of Warsaw.

If Warsaw captures and uses the excess heat from the metro, the burning of fossil fuels from the Siekierki and Żerań power stations can be reduced. Now, the main purpose of these combined heat and power (CHP) stations is to produce electricity by burning fossil fuels. Much of the waste heat from this process is captured and distributed in the district heating grid.



Warsaw can save about 42,000 tons of CO2e per year by capturing the excess heat from the metro system if the electricity to power the heat pumps and supplement the reduced electricity production from the CHPs is provided with renewable energy. That is equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of about 6,300 Polish citizens.

Excess heat capture from the <red>Warsaw Metro System</red>

Warsaw is proving to be a pioneer in exploring the potential of excess heat to reduce emissions, save energy, and lower cost. However, this is only the first step: the potential to capture and reuse excess heat expands far beyond metro stations and district heating networks. And both within and outside of Poland, the potential goes beyond Warsaw alone.

Beyond the tip of the <red>iceberg</red>

Beyond metro stations

Beyond district heating

Beyond Warsaw

Towards zero-emission supermarkets

Getting supermarkets to <red>net zero</red>

These are the key takeaways

Only got 2 minutes?

Supermarkets contribute significantly to <red>global energy consumption</red>

Introducing one of the world’s most <red>energy efficient supermarkets</red>

Supermarket <red>heat recovery</red> can save up to 90% on heating costs

Green food retail stores are possible

The flagship Danfoss Smart Store demonstrates the potential for supermarkets to reduce costs, decarbonize and reduce food loss.

Building better supermarkets for the world

Making carbon neutral cities possible

ProjectZero

Integrated energy system as a key success factor

Sønderborg’s integrated energy system

The solutions

A replicable model

Sønderborg focuses on energy efficiency first, as this has the potential to reduce the total cost of decarbonization by almost 50%. 

Decarbonizing supermarkets with excess heat

Turning supermarkets from energy consumers to energy producers

The power of excess heat in the decarbonization process

Supermarket in Denmark covered most of its heating demand by reused energy

A local supermarket harnesses the potential of excess heat and sector integration.

A path to an energy neutral water sector

Turning wastewater plants into energy producers

A guide to efficient water treatment

Sector integration increases the potential in wastewater

Water is key to climate action. Marselisborg is harvesting the green potential of wastewater management. 

Here are the solutions

The world’s largest untapped energy source: Excess heat

There is a greener and safer route out of the <red>energy crisis</red>

Only got two minutes?

Why <red>excess heat?</red>

What is <red>excess heat?</red>

The solutions exist

How can <red>excess heat</red> be used?

Danfoss Impact Series

Excess heat is a huge untapped energy source which can be captured and reused,  accelerating the green transition.

Excess heat - Danfoss Impact Issue no. 2

Energy Efficiency 2.0: Engineering the Future Energy System

 Download the full <red>whitepaper</red>

This is <red>Energy Efficiency 2.0</red>

It's time to rethink <red>energy efficiency</red>

The great <red>grid transformation</red>

The future is <red>electric</red>

Case: Decarbonizing heavy-duty vehicles

<red>Flexibility:</red> timing is everything

Case: Energy flexibility in the EU and UK

<red>Conversion</red> is key to net zero

Case: Good converters can save electricity and money

<red>Storage</red> for the future energy

Reusing energy through <red>sector integration</red>

Case: Excess heat from hydrogen production

Policy Recommendations

Energy efficiency, electrification, demand-side flexibility, conversion, storage, and sector integration are integral for a future energy system enabling an energy grid powered by renewables.

Energy efficiency 2.0 - Danfoss Impact Issue no. 4

Roadmap for decarbonizing cities

The battle against climate change will be won - <red>or lost</red> - in cities

A day in the city

The <red>carbon footprint</red> of cities

Decarbonizing <red>heating and cooling</red> in the city

 Decarbonizing <red>urban transport</red>

Transport solutions

Decarbonizing <red>energy supply</red> in cities

Energy supply solutions

Three steps to <red>decarbonize cities</red>

Our roadmap for decarbonizing cities outlines the technologies available to meet global climate goals and accelerate the green transition.

Decarbonizing cities - Danfoss Impact Issue no. 3

The neglected demand side of the green equation

Let's close the gap between promises <red>and action</red>

The <red>neglected demand</red> side of the green equation

Two myths in the climate debate debunked

Myth number 1

Myth number 2

Cooling: <red>A blind spot</red> in the fight against climate change

Energy efficient cooling

The solutions <red>exist<red>

1. Save energy

2. Electrify 

3. Integrate  

Policy recommendations

The Solutions 

 Sources

Danfoss highlighting the urgent action to address the growing demand for energy.

Danfoss Impact Issue no. 1

Danfoss Impact whitepaper series

Excess heat capture from the Warsaw metro can be integrated into the district heating system to heat homes, businesses, and domestic hot water of Warsaw. 

Leveraging excess heat from the Warsaw Metro

More sustainable ports

Heavy construction machinery – such as excavators, cranes, or straddlers – are notorious for being inefficient and swallowing vast amounts of diesel, very little of which is converted to productive work. However, the solutions are available to drastically improve fuel efficiency in heavy construction machines, while more compact machines can be fully electrified.

 
Ports all over the world are accelerating the introduction of energy efficient technologies to reduce emissions. Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) is one of the largest manufacturers of port machinery in the world. ZPMC has developed a multitude of hybrid and fully electric port machinery that aids ports in meeting their business and climate ambitions. One such product in ZPMC’s portfolio is hybrid straddle carriers.
 
A straddle carrier is used in many ports to stack and move containers and for handling boats onshore. ZPMC’s straddle carriers are currently operating at Durban Port in South Africa and the Port of Barcelona in Spain.

<red>Decarbonizing</red> transport

View and download the case electrifying machinery to make ports more sustainable.

Decarbonizing construction machines

 Download the full <red>case study</red>

Reduce emissions from construction machinery

The low-emission construction site

Solutions for reducing carbon emissions in the construction machinery

How to improve energy efficiency in construction machines

How to electrify construction machines

Electric off-highway vehicles and machinery at the Danfoss House site. Energy efficiency paves the way for electrified construction sites.

Electrifying maritime transport

Showing the potential in maritime electrification

Ellen lowers emissions and operates at lower costs

Results from Ellen, the world's longest ranging electric ferry

Ellen, the world’s longest ranging electric ferry. A vision of the huge potential in maritime electrification.

Clean transport across Norway’s fjords

Electric vessels reducing CO2 emissions

Powerful onshore support is essential

With the introduction of electric vessels, the Hareid-Sulesund ferry operations have reduced CO2 emissions by thousands of tons annually.

Clean transport across Norway’s fjords  

Cleaner air with Asia's first E-ferry

The Taiwanese port city of Kaohsiung have replaced diesel with electricity with Asia’s first hybrid electric ferry. 

Cleaner air with Asia’s first E-ferry

Electrifying machinery makes ports in Spain and South Africa more sustainable by using energy efficient technologies to reduce emissions.

decision makers are still struggling to close the gap between energy supply and demand

 left by the cut off from Russian gas. Countries are taking reactive emergency measures, such as firing up old coal-fired power stations, as well as signing new nuclear and liquefied natural gas (LNG) leases.

Sadly, decision makers overlook that there is a readily available, greener, cheaper and safer alternative, namely, smarter use of the energy we already have. One way to do that is by 

using the vast amounts of energy that are currently wasted

 across sectors. 

Wasted energy often comes in the form of excess heat and is a byproduct of most industrial and commercial processes; factories, data centers, wastewater facilities and supermarkets all produce vast amounts of excess heat. In the European Union (EU) alone,

 excess heat amounts to 2,860 TWh/y, almost corresponding to the EU’s total energy demand for heat and hot water

 in residential and service sector buildings. Much of this excess heat could instead be captured and used.



We already have the solutions available today

 – what we need now is the political will to make it happen. The greenest, cheapest, and safest energy is the energy we don’t use. 

Let’s get started.

Huge untapped energy source

The solutions already exist

Purest form of energy efficiency

Reusing excess heat will lower costs for consumers. It is much cheaper to reuse energy than it is to buy or produce it. On a societal level, excess heat can replace significant amounts of electricity or gas that are otherwise needed to produce heat. This way, excess heat can help stabilize the future electricity grid.

Ramping up the use of excess heat will lower overall energy demand, give a productivity boost to the economy, and ease the transition to a green energy system.

Every time an engine runs, it generates heat. Anyone who has felt the warmth behind their fridge can confirm this. The same is true on a larger scale in supermarkets. Keeping food fresh in cooling displays and freezers generates significant amounts of excess heat. A similar process goes for the cooling of the thousands of data centers that are popping up around the world. This excess heat is currently released into the air without any effort to reuse it.

There is about 2,860 TWh per year of waste heat accessible in the EU, much of which could be reused. This corresponds almost to the EU's total energy demand for heat and hot water in residential and service sector buildings, which is approximately 3,180 TWh per year. In some countries, the excess heat potential matches the heat demand.

There are multiple ways to use excess heat. The solutions range from simply using excess heat for heating purposes in the same unit to the advanced solutions of district heating. Let's take a closer look at the options.

1. Reuse excess heat in the same entity

2. Sector integration & smart urban planning

3. District energy

Energy efficient supermarket in Oldenburg

The <red>decarbonization</red> challenge

Supermarket Aktiv & Irma, located in Oldenburg, Germany, is at the forefront of ‘green supermarkets.’

Energy efficient supermarket

The lost city of Benxi

The old steel capital of China can breathe again

<red>Decarbonizing</red> industry

The old steel capital of China can breathe again. Implementing an advanced district heating system has reduced annual coal use.

The lost city of Benxi 

Factories in China drive the green transition

Factories all over the world need to meet growing demands 

In China, Danfoss has reduced energy consumption and emissions in factories through three drivers.


Green hydrogen: A critical balancing act

 Download the full <red>Danfoss Impact paper</red>

<red>Scaling hydrogen</red> without breaking the bank or the grid

These are the <red>key takeaways</red>

Hydrogen <red>explained</red>

Green hydrogen will play a critical role in the transition away from fossil fuels and in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, such as long-distance shipping, and international aviation.