Combined Heat and Power
Posted on 23rd May 2011.
What is Combined Heat & Power?
Combined heat and power plant, also known as CHP or cogeneration, simultaneously produces electricity and heat from a fuel source in an efficient manner. Electricity is generated using an engine and the rejected heat is captured for use, minimising waste. Different types of CHP plant use various fuels and types of engine to produce different ratios of electrical to thermal power and varying water temperatures.
Why Combined Heat & Power?
More than 70% of grid supplied electricity in the UK is generated from fossil fuel power plants with typical efficiencies of 35-50%. Further losses are made in distribution over long distances across the country. As well as the user benefitting from a secure energy supply, significant savings in running costs and greenhouse gas emissions can be made if electricity is generated efficiently on site.
Currently, grid electricity is significantly more expensive per kWh than natural gas or other fuels so it also makes financial sense to reduce grid dependency. Combined heat and power is one way to generate electricity cleanly and efficiently, reducing carbon emissions by up to 30% compared to grid supplied electricity and separate heating plant.
Renewable Energy
CHP can run on a whole range of fuels from traditional fossil fuels to nuclear, fuel cells and biomass. If a local and reliable supply of renewable fuel such as biomass (wood chips or pellets) is available to replace natural gas, it is possible to have all the benefits of a fully renewable energy system, including qualification for the government’s new Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.
CHP Applications
The feasibility of combined heat and power systems is very much dependent on the balance of the electrical and thermal loads and the temperature at which heat must be delivered to the building. In order for a CHP plant to produce cost and energy savings and an acceptable payback it must be running for 4500 to 6000 hours a year. CHP plant should therefore be sized on the year round base heat load to ensure maximum running hours. Ideal opportunities may be swimming pools or district heating schemes with large load diversity.
CHP installations can range from micro-CHP units, starting at 1kW for a domestic unit, to large industrial complexes or district heating schemes with outputs up to 30MW.
If applied correctly CHP can save money, energy and carbon emissions. Well designed systems can pay for themselves in just a few years.
For more information on one of our successful combined heat and power projects, where 1,294,220 kgCO2 have been saved so far, visit our commercial projects page.
Combined heat and power plant, also known as CHP or cogeneration, simultaneously produces electricity and heat from a fuel source in an efficient manner. Electricity is generated using an engine and the rejected heat is captured for use, minimising waste. Different types of CHP plant use various fuels and types of engine to produce different ratios of electrical to thermal power and varying water temperatures.
Why Combined Heat & Power?
More than 70% of grid supplied electricity in the UK is generated from fossil fuel power plants with typical efficiencies of 35-50%. Further losses are made in distribution over long distances across the country. As well as the user benefitting from a secure energy supply, significant savings in running costs and greenhouse gas emissions can be made if electricity is generated efficiently on site.
Currently, grid electricity is significantly more expensive per kWh than natural gas or other fuels so it also makes financial sense to reduce grid dependency. Combined heat and power is one way to generate electricity cleanly and efficiently, reducing carbon emissions by up to 30% compared to grid supplied electricity and separate heating plant.
Renewable Energy
CHP can run on a whole range of fuels from traditional fossil fuels to nuclear, fuel cells and biomass. If a local and reliable supply of renewable fuel such as biomass (wood chips or pellets) is available to replace natural gas, it is possible to have all the benefits of a fully renewable energy system, including qualification for the government’s new Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.
CHP Applications
The feasibility of combined heat and power systems is very much dependent on the balance of the electrical and thermal loads and the temperature at which heat must be delivered to the building. In order for a CHP plant to produce cost and energy savings and an acceptable payback it must be running for 4500 to 6000 hours a year. CHP plant should therefore be sized on the year round base heat load to ensure maximum running hours. Ideal opportunities may be swimming pools or district heating schemes with large load diversity.
CHP installations can range from micro-CHP units, starting at 1kW for a domestic unit, to large industrial complexes or district heating schemes with outputs up to 30MW.
If applied correctly CHP can save money, energy and carbon emissions. Well designed systems can pay for themselves in just a few years.
For more information on one of our successful combined heat and power projects, where 1,294,220 kgCO2 have been saved so far, visit our commercial projects page.
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