Combined heat and power systems (CHP) integrate the production of heat and power into a single process that’s highly-efficient and environmentally-friendly. This process – also known as cogeneration – offers many benefits for municipal, industrial, commercial, and even residential facilities.
Here’s a closer look at CHP, including how it works and its many benefits:
How It Works
CHP is a combined heat and power system that provides both electric power and heat from a single source. Most electric utilities produce heat that isn’t used, but instead is sent into the cooling water, or into the atmosphere along with other greenhouse gases and pollutants.
This process wastes nearly two-thirds of the fuel’s energy, while a CHP system recovers almost all of the energy it produces.
CHP Benefits
CHP systems provide a number of benefits compared to conventional electricity and thermal energy productions, including:
Efficiency
Because CHP systems recover much of the wasted heat, they typically achieve efficiencies of up to 80 percent – and more.
Environmental
CHP reduces emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants because it uses less fuel to produce each unit of energy output.
Economy
Because of its high efficiency, CHP can save facilities considerable money on energy bills, while also providing a hedge against electricity and cost increases.
Reliability
CHP is an on-site generation source and can support continued operations in the event of a disaster or grid disruption.
RLN Energy Services offers power generation training services specializing in the electrical and mechanical industries. RLN is available for consultative services and can best recommend the best power system for your worksite.