Co-generation of heat and power
07/03/05
Co-generation of heat and power, or combined production of heat and power (CHP), is a way to generate heat and power at high efficiency and low emissions. Typically, the CHP plant produces heat and electric power at fuel consumption 30 % lower than the alternative production methods would require. Therefore, CHP offers substantial energy savings, operation cost savings, and flue gas emission reductions - CO2 reductions in particular. Moreover, the CHP plant can be adjusted to the fuels available in the municipality or industry.
More information:
Combined Heat and Power, CHP,
http://www.chp-info.org/
Co-generation of heat and power is the most efficient way to use fuels in energy production. By means of CHP, the efficiency of generating electric energy can be raised from 30 to 45 %, typical at the conventional stand-alone thermal power plants, to 80-90 %, typical at the CHP plants.
The CHP production offers an excellent way to integrate the local energy supply in such a way that the local needs of industrial steam, domestic hot water, room space heating and possible room space cooling can be combined with parallel production of electric power, as presented in the picture below. The typical benefits of such integral systems are
- complete fuel flexibility,
- improved urban air quality, and
- highly efficient utilisation of the primary energy sources available.
The European associations for CHP provide information about statistics and best practices of CHP as follows:
The European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration, COGEN,
http://www.cogen.org/
Euroheat & Power,
http:/www.euroheat.org/
The intergovernmental Secretariat of the Energy Charter Treaty, under the Energy Charter Protocol on Energy Efficiency and Related Environmental Aspects (PEEREA) has issued a booklet on “Cogeneration and District Heating - Best Practices of the Municipal Role”, Report 83 of PEEREA, Energy Charter Treaty, in 2005. In fall of 2005, the Booklet will be downloadable in:
http://www.encharter.org/index.php?id=126&L=0