Waste heat recovery case studies and performance studies
Real facilities, measured results. See how Lepido® performed in laundries, food plants, foundries and kitchens, and what 22 months of continuous operation looks like.
Evidence for project decisions
Every study answers the six questions an engineer or a finance lead asks first.
Pick a project to see its answers, taken straight from the published case study. Every figure is published with the customer’s approval.
-
01
The challenge
Hot, very moist finisher exhaust was vented straight outside.
-
02
Source conditions
Finisher exhaust at about 80°C, heavy with moisture.
-
03
Where the heat goes
Pre-heats process water for two tunnel washers.
-
04
The solution
Lepido® added to the finisher exhaust.
-
05
Operating period
Six-month trial from early summer 2023.
-
06
Approved result
63% less gas per kg of laundry (0.019 → 0.007 kWh/kg).
-
01
The challenge
Clogging risk had ruled out heat recovery on the production line.
-
02
Source conditions
9.7 m³/s at 40°C with grease, soot and moisture, 20 h a day.
-
03
Where the heat goes
Supply air for the production hall, through a closed run-around loop.
-
04
The solution
Two Lepido® L50 units in the exhaust duct.
-
05
Operating period
A 2022 project in Laholm, Sweden.
-
06
Approved result
614,900 kWh a year recovered, 99% of the heat demand.
-
01
The challenge
Conventional exchangers clogged, needed weekly maintenance and were removed.
-
02
Source conditions
About 4 m³/s at 30°C from the sand cooler, with particles, moisture and binders.
-
03
Where the heat goes
Heat the site used to get from an oil-fired boiler.
-
04
The solution
Lepido® in the sand reclamation duct, with no pre-filter.
-
05
Operating period
Installed spring 2025, results after three months.
-
06
Approved result
95 kW recovered, 85% of the heating need, about 90 t less fossil CO₂ a year.
Case studies
Project highlights from sites where heat recovery used to fail. Find the one closest to your process, then ask us what it would recover at yours.
CWS Workwear
Industrial laundry · Den Bosch, Netherlands63% less gas on the tunnel washers Basis: gas per kg of laundry, before vs after · 6-month trial, 2023
Finisher exhaust → to washer process water
Lantmännen
Food production · Laholm, Sweden99% of the site's heat demand covered Basis: 614,900 of 616,600 kWh/yr · 2 × Lepido L50 · 2022
Production-line exhaust with grease and soot → to production-hall supply air
Bruzaholms
Foundries · Småland, Sweden85% of the heating need, once met by an oil boiler Basis: 95 kW recovered · first 3 months of data, 2025
Sand cooler exhaust → to heat for the site
Sports & Leisure Group
Manufacturing · Polymer production- Installed
- Measuring
- Results
Burger King UK
Restaurants · United Kingdom11–36% lower electricity bill Basis: electric heater use vs a control site without Lepido · 2024
Kitchen exhaust → to make-up air, electric heater off
Find a relevant example
Not your industry or source? Send us the basics. ThermStar can tell whether your operating conditions support a preliminary evaluation even when no public example exactly matches.
Long term heat recovery performance data
The key question for heat recovery projects is whether useful performance continues after startup. ThermStar uses long term studies and operating experience to examine pressure stability, airflow, maintenance, and recovered energy over time.
What operators say
Straight from the people running Lepido® in exhaust that had beaten other systems.
“We have tried everything, but this is the only thing that actually works.”
Burger King franchise owner, Malmö, Sweden
“Unlike previous systems, it manages dusty and humid air over extended periods, leading to significant energy savings and substantially reduced maintenance.”
Technical Manager, Bruzaholms Foundry
“We have never found a similar product that can recover heat as well as Lepido. It enables energy recovery where it hasn’t been possible before.”
Head of International Business Development, Emutec GmbH
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But with Lepido, it’s the other way around, the systems work much better than expected.”
Construction Team Manager, Scandinavia
What happens next
A first conversation helps ThermStar understand the operating goal, the facility context, and the people involved in the decision.
- Tell us the site, industry and heat source.
- We compare it with installed experience.
- You get one clear next step.
This approach keeps the process proportionate to the opportunity while giving operations, finance, engineering, health and safety, and sustainability stakeholders clear information for the next decision.
What is included in a ThermStar case study
ThermStar may publish approved application descriptions, customer logos, photographs, general configurations, operating observations, measured energy information, and study findings. The level of detail depends on customer permission and the evidence available.
Why do long term performance studies matter
Initial performance does not show how equipment responds to contaminants, pressure conditions, cleaning, operating variation, and maintenance over time. A longer study can provide more useful context for technical and economic decisions when its method and limits are clearly stated.
Are case study results guaranteed at another facility
No. Published experience can show how technology performed under stated conditions, but it does not guarantee the same outcome elsewhere. Source conditions, receiving loads, schedules, installation, controls, maintenance, and energy costs vary by project.
How can a facility request a similar evaluation
Submit the facility location, industry, source description, operating schedule, and possible use for recovered energy. ThermStar can compare the application with available experience and identify the data needed for a preliminary evaluation.