Are you one of the many people who want to understand heat pumps? We’ve heard plenty of our customers express their pain points surrounding industrial energy and how they want to learn more about heat pumps, so today, we are joined by Arun Gupta, Founder and CEO of Skyven Technologies. Arun is here to shed light on solving industrial heat issues, how heat pumps work, and more.
Listen in as he breaks down the basics of the Skyven Arcturus steam-generating heat pump, as well as its various industrial applications. You’ll learn the financial benefits of using heat pumps, what made Arun pivot away from solar thermal, and tips for business leaders on how to handle the challenges that can come with implementing energy efficiency measures.
Listen To The Episode
What You’ll Learn In Today’s Episode:
- The problem with industrial heat and how Arun went about finding a solution.
- Why he pivoted away from solar thermal and into energy efficiency as a service.
- What they discovered when looking into efficiencies that manufacturers are deploying.
- Introduction of Skyven’s steam-generating heat pump.
- Efficiency and financial benefits of using heat pumps over natural gas.
- Advice for business leaders on decarbonization and cost management.
Key Points:
- The Skyevin Arcturus steam-generating heat pump is an external retrofit that transforms waste heat, as low as 85°F, into high-temperature steam up to 420°F. This steam is used for various industrial applications like pasteurization and drying. In ethanol plants, it utilizes low-temperature heat from ethanol vapor to produce steam, reducing the need for burning fossil fuels. The process electrifies heat generation, making it highly efficient and creating a closed-loop system that continuously recycles heat. This method offers financial benefits by moving existing heat rather than consuming new fuel, thus outperforming traditional boilers in efficiency.
- Skyven provides heat pumps under an energy-as-a-service contract, covering all capital expenses. They measure the system’s steam production and electricity usage to calculate savings, which are then shared with the customer. This model aligns Skyven’s profit with customer savings, enabling customers to preserve their capital for core business projects.
- Manufacturers face several significant barriers to implementing energy efficiency measures. One of the main issues is limited bandwidth; after many years of cost-cutting, they operate with lean staff and lack the necessary personnel. Additionally, there is a challenge of low awareness and the high cost of facility downtime, which can be as much as $50,000 per hour. This leads to difficulty in justifying the efforts and investment, even when potential savings amount to $200,000 a year – that gets eaten up with just 4 hours of downtime.
Resources In Today’s Episode:
- Arun Gupta: LinkedIn
- Skyven Technologies
- Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
- Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
- VECKTA: News
Time Stamps:
- 00:00:03: Introduction to the episode
- 00:00:06: Introduction of Arun, CEO of Skyven Technologies
- 00:00:13: Discussion on industrial energy pain points and heat pumps
- 00:00:32: Arun’s passion for climate change and industrial process heat
- 00:01:30: Arun’s journey to founding Skyven Technologies
- 00:03:35: Early challenges and pivot towards energy efficiency
- 00:05:46: The importance and challenges of industrial heat
- 00:09:08: Introduction of Skyven’s steam-generating heat pump
- 00:10:07: Barriers to adopting heat pump technology
- 00:12:30: Explanation of how heat pumps work
- 00:14:13: Specific examples of Skyven’s technology in action
- 00:19:49: Efficiency and financial benefits of using heat pumps over natural gas
- 00:21:11: Industries with the highest traction for heat pumps
- 00:22:06: Unique aspects of Skyven’s heat pump technology
- 00:24:00: Business model innovation and energy-as-a-service
- 00:26:54: Implementation timeline and process
- 00:27:39: Closing advice for business leaders on decarbonization and cost management
- 00:28:04: Introduction to the Skyvin Arcturus heat pump benefits
- 00:28:39: Challenges to adoption of the heat pump
- 00:30:23: Importance of a champion within the organization
- 00:31:07: Long-term planning for successful adoption
- 00:31:14: Arun’s personal and professional success statement
- 00:32:14: Conclusion and appreciation
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