Cold recovery refers to the process of capturing and reusing low-temperature energy, often in the form of chilled air, water, or other cooling media, that would otherwise be wasted in industrial, commercial, or HVAC systems. The goal is to improve energy efficiency by redirecting this "cold" energy for cooling purposes elsewhere in a system or facility.

• How it works: Cold recovery systems typically use heat exchangers or refrigeration cycles to extract low-temperature energy from exhaust air, process fluids, or other sources. This recovered cold energy can be used for space cooling, refrigeration, or to pre-cool incoming air or fluids.
• Applications: Common in data centers, food processing plants, and industrial refrigeration systems. For example, cold exhaust air from a freezer can be reused to pre-cool incoming warm air.
• Benefits: Reduces energy consumption, lowers operational costs, and minimizes environmental impact by decreasing the demand for additional cooling energy.

Heat Recovery
Heat recovery involves capturing and reusing waste heat generated from industrial processes, HVAC systems, or other energy-intensive operations. This recovered heat, which would otherwise be lost to the environment, is repurposed for heating, power generation, or other thermal applications.

• How it works: Heat recovery systems use technologies like heat exchangers, heat pumps, or thermal storage to capture excess heat from exhaust gases, hot water, or equipment. The recovered heat can be used to preheat water, provide space heating, or drive processes like steam generation.
• Applications: Widely used in manufacturing, power plants, and commercial buildings. For instance, waste heat from an industrial furnace can be used to heat water for facility use.
• Benefits: Enhances energy efficiency, reduces fuel consumption, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and cuts operational costs.

Key Differences

• Temperature Focus: Cold recovery deals with low-temperature (cooling) energy, while heat recovery focuses on high-temperature (heating) energy.
• Applications: Cold recovery is more specific to cooling needs, while heat recovery has broader applications, including heating and power generation.