Well, I guess it is quite possible! I used to think that all the heat leaving a factory was an expense, part of the job. But, in truth, there was a great amount of that heat that could have been reused rather than being completely lost to the air.The waste heat recovery systems (WHRS) capture thermal energy from such sources as furnaces ovens boilers, compressors, and hot exhaust streams and re-use it in other processes. For instance, the heat can be transferred through a heat exchanger from a hot exhaust stream to water, combustion air, process fluids, or incoming materials. The big benefit is the reduction of the amount of fresh energy needed. If the heat is able to preheat the water or the air entering process, equipment will be able to reach the temperature required without having to work as hard. So, less fuel consumption, less operating costs and of course, lower emissions.Still, it should be kept in mind that merely having waste heat recovery installed does not guarantee a big money-saving miracle. Temperature, volume, and availability of waste heat are crucial factors. Also, such factors like contaminants in the exhaust gases corrosion available space, maintenance needs as well as the distance between the source of heat and the location of its use should be taken into consideration. Matching recovered heat with the process is another important consideration. A stream of a high-temperature exhaust doesn't always imply that all the energy can be used efficiently. If a facility has a consistent need for heat such as hot water or preheated air, heat recovery might be better suited than generation of electricity.A preliminary energy audit to identify the greatest heat losses and an idea on how much of useful energy could be recovered realistically should be carried out first. The best improvement is sometimes delivered by the simplest methods, so a basic solution may be what is required.