Your choices:
1 Process heat/steam (50 - 150 °C); 2 Biomass (solid); 3 District heating
| What is your resource? | What do you want to deliver? | What is the service the customer wants? |
| Biomass (digestible sludge) | District cooling | Comfortable indoor climate |
| Biomass (fermentable sludge) | 3 District heating | Electricity |
| 2 Biomass (solid) | Electricity | Process cooling (< 0 °C) |
| Geothermal | Fuel: Gaseous | 1 Process heat/steam (50 - 150 °C) |
| Sunshine | Fuel: Liquid | Process heat (150 - 1000 °C) |
| Water | Fuel: Solid | Process heat (> 1000 °C) |
| Wind | Local cooling (ind. house) | Transport |
| Residual oils/fats etc | Local heating (ind. house) |
In case the process plant is within reach of a district heating network, then district heating should be chosen for the supply of low-temperature heat.
Outsourcing the energy production may also be advantageous from other aspects. The full responsibility for the energy supply is then handed over to a central, large-scale, production plant with 24-hour manning and professional personnel. Thus, the risk for breakages or un-planned stoppages is minimised. The price paid is, of course, a fixed fee.