Many industrial facilities use process heating, for a variety of operations. Direct process heating (not including steam systems) accounts for about one-fourth of total industrial energy use. Opportunities to improve efficiency in this area include:

• Optimize burner air to fuel ratios
• Maintain clean heat transfer surfaces
• Install furnace pressure controllers
• Install waste heat recovery systems
• Preheat combustion air
• Reduce air infiltration in furnaces
• Reduce radiation losses from heating equipment

DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office offers a free process heating assessment and survey tool (PHAST) to identify the most cost-effective options for improving process heating.