The pros and cons of combining heat and power

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.