The development of a heat income function for regional solid waste management

A heat income function is developed for the calculation of heat income obtained when heat generated in a solid waste incinerator is sold in the form of hot water to a district heating facility. The heat income function takes into account the variation in the demand for heat over the course of the year and the seasonal variation in the generation of solid waste. The use of the heat income function as a tool in regional solid waste planning is illustrated with an application to the island of Funen in Denmark. A mixed integer programming model is used to find the optimal location of incinerators based on the district heating facility demands at the potential locations.