Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco, discusses the operational costs and the environmental impact of onsite energy co-generation and highlights the increasing performance gap between ‘dirty CHP’ and the latest generation of highly efficient micro-CHP
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 via the grid are eliminated.
In addition, thermal energy is extracted from the CHP process by recovering the waste heat produced during the power generation process. This drastically reduces the amount of fuel energy lost to the environment as exhaust, instead using it to contribute towards local heat demand.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
