Whether building a new care home or refurbishing an older property, the importance of energy provision has risen up the agenda, resulting in a proliferation of onsite power generation. According to a report by Centrica Business Solutions, more than 80 per cent of commercial operations are expected to invest in onsite power production to generate up to one-quarter of their electricity requirements by 2025.1
One popular choice has been combined heat and power (CHP), which is also known as co-generation. CHP is the simultaneous production of usable heat and electricity using a single process and source of fuel (typically gas) and is one of the most effective ways to significantly increase the energy efficiency of a building. With an engine directly linked to a generator, similar efficiency levels to those of a conventional source of power can be achieved and by locating the installation at the point of consumption, the energy losses often associated with power transmission vi
