ISO 13579-1:2013

Overview

ISO 13579-1:2013 - Industrial furnaces and associated processing equipment - Method of measuring energy balance and calculating efficiency - Part 1: General methodology specifies a consistent, manufacturer-oriented methodology for measuring the energy balance and calculating the energy efficiency of industrial furnaces and associated processing equipment. This part defines measurement methods, general calculation rules and the structure of an energy balance evaluation report. It applies only to the furnace and immediate associated equipment, not to wider process steps outside the furnace boundary.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and boundary: Defines the area of energy balance and clarifies that process steps beyond the furnace are excluded.
• Measurement methods (Clause 8): Procedures for quantifying fuel, combustion air, exhaust gas, products and jigs, furnace surface and inner wall temperatures, inner pressure, cooling water, electrical auxiliaries and recycled energy.
• Energy types and systematisation (Clause 7): Distinguishes total energy input (fuel equivalent energy + other inputs) and total energy output (thermal energy output + electrical auxiliary consumption + utility generation losses). Key terms include fuel equivalent energy, effective energy, jig loss, wall loss, cooling water loss and exhaust sensible heat.
• Calculation methods (Clause 9): General provisions for computing total energy input/output and deriving total energy efficiency.
• Reporting (Clause 10): Requirements for producing an energy balance evaluation report suited for comparison, improvement projects and compliance documentation.
• Supporting annexes: Informative guidance on uncertainty assessment (Annex A), regenerative burner measurement (Annex B), reference data, moisture calculations, heat storage/wall loss/blowout loss calculations, fluid transfer energy and an example energy balance sheet.

Practical applications and users

Who uses ISO 13579-1:

• Furnace manufacturers and OEMs for design verification and performance claims.
• Plant engineers and energy managers conducting energy audits and optimization projects.
• Environmental and sustainability teams tracking fuel use, CO2-equivalent reductions and qualifying projects for mechanisms like CDM.
• Third‑party auditors and certification bodies verifying measured furnace efficiency.
• Process improvement consultants and equipment buyers specifying performance and acceptance tests.

How it’s used:

• To establish consistent measurement campaigns and baseline energy balances.
• To calculate furnace efficiency and identify major loss sources (wall loss, blowout, exhaust).
• To quantify savings from retrofits, burner upgrades, insulation improvements or heat recovery.

Related standards

• ISO 13574 (Vocabulary for industrial furnaces and associated processing equipment) - normative reference.
• Other parts of ISO 13579 series addressing specific furnace types (e.g., Part 2: batch-type aluminium melting; Part 3: reheating furnaces for steel; Part 4: protective/reactive atmosphere furnaces).

Keywords: ISO 13579-1:2013, industrial furnaces, energy balance, furnace efficiency, measurement methods, energy balance evaluation report, thermal energy balance, fuel equivalent energy.