GHG mitigation potential of solar industrial process heating in producing cotton based textiles in India

Abstract A preliminary attempt to estimate the potential of solar process heating in producing cotton based textiles in India as well as the amount of greenhouse gases likely to be mitigated consequently has been made. To begin with, all the processes involved in the production of cotton based textiles (yarn and cloth) that require thermal energy have been identified. Also an assessment of availability of solar radiation as well as the ambient conditions at various locations with clusters of cotton based textile units in the country has been made. Subsequently, the solar collector area required for meeting the process heating demand has been estimated. Further, corresponding useful thermal energy delivery of solar industrial process heating systems at identified locations has been estimated. The process heating potential in term of useful thermal energy requirements in cotton based textile production is estimated at 191 PJ annually. The estimated values of annual solar fractions for the identified locations with clusters of cotton based textile units range between 0.22 and 0.32 for systems without storage and in between 0.20 and 0.60 for SIPH system having provision of thermal storage for collection of energy that would otherwise be dumped. Solar process heating in cotton based textile industry in India have a potential to mitigate 2457–7648 thousand tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually depending on the location and the provision of a storage component or otherwise.