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Combined Heat and Power | CHP Cogeneration
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems
Learn more about our energy efficient cogeneration systems and how your business can save on costs while utilizing sustainable power. Connect with a Cat® CHP expert.
What is CHP?
CHP is energy efficient technology that generates electric power and captures the heat that would otherwise be wasted to provide useful thermal energy—such as steam or hot water that can be used for space heating, cooling, domestic hot water and industrial processes.
Lower Operating Costs and Lower Emissions with Cogeneration.
Cat gas generator sets can simultaneously provide electricity for electrical loads and heat energy for a facility's thermal requirements. Any Cat natural gas-fuelled engine can be configured specifically for applications involving heat recovery.
Where grid electricity and natural gas boilers often provide less than 50 percent efficiency, Cat® Combined Heat and Power (CHP) projects offer additional benefits:
- Energy efficiency up to 90 percent
- Cheaper relative to separate heat and electrical generation systems
- Lower emissions than separate heat and electrical generation systems
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification available via energy efficiency credits
How does Cogeneration Increase efficiency?
Nearly two-thirds of the energy used by conventional electricity generation is wasted in the form of heat discharged to the atmosphere. Additional energy is wasted during the distribution of electricity to end users. By capturing and using heat that would otherwise be wasted, and by avoiding distribution losses, CHP can achieve efficiencies of over 80 percent, compared to 50 percent for typical technologies (i.e., conventional electricity generation and an on-site boiler).
CHP is more efficient than traditional electrical and heating methods.
it saves on heating and electricity costs, and it releases
less harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the environment.
Most Common Combined Heat and Power Systems and Technology
- Combustion turbine or reciprocating engine CHP systems – burn fuel (natural gas, oil, or biogas) to turn generators to produce electricity and use heat recovery devices to capture the heat from the turbine or engine. This heat is converted into useful thermal energy, usually in the form of steam or hot water.
- Steam boiler with steam turbines – the process begins by producing steam in a boiler. The steam is then used to turn a turbine to run a generator to produce electricity. The steam leaving the turbine can be used to produce useful thermal energy. These systems can use a variety of fuels, such as natural gas, oil, biomass, and coal.
CHP is used in over 4,400 large buildings and facilities nationwide, including:
- Commercial buildings – office buildings, hotels, health clubs, nursing homes
- Residential – condominiums, co-ops, apartments, planned communities
- Institutions – colleges and universities, hospitals, prisons, military bases
- Municipal – district energy systems, wastewater treatment facilities, K-12 schools
- Manufacturers – chemical, refining, ethanol, pulp and paper, food processing, glass manufacturing
Testimonials
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Craft Brewery Powers Cogen System with Wastewater Byproducts
One of the byproducts of brewing beer is wastewater rich in biodegradable materials. Bell’s Brewery had been examining alternatives for turning its wastewater byproduct into energy, commissioning a bioenergy facility that includes three anaerobic digesters to convert biodegradable contents of the wastewater into methane-rich biogas to power a Cat® G3406 generator set as part of a cogeneration system.
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New cogeneration system is revolutionary for the ski industry
A new cogeneration facility anchored by three Cat® gas generator sets is the latest in a series of major sustainability initiatives undertaken by Snowbird, a premier ski resort and alpine destination in Utah.
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Hospital Doubles Down On Commitment To Energy Efficiency
As part of an energy-savings initiative, Saint Peter’s University Hospital installed a 2 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant powered by a Cat® G3516H natural gas-fueled generator set, which allows the hospital to remain fully operational during a grid power outage. By running the CHP plant continuously, Saint Peter’s saves approximately $200,000 to $300,000 in annual energy costs.
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Zakrzewscy Controls Energy Costs With Cat® Power System
Based in Kosów Lacki, Poland, the Zakrzewscy Meat Processing Plant sought a new energy source after electricity prices on the Polish energy market skyrocketed. Working with local Cat® dealer Eneria Cat, Zakrzewscy installed a Cat generator set and combined heat and power system to insulate the plant from unstable utility costs.
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Cat® Generator Sets Reduce Costs and Promote Growth for JMP Flowers
The orchid expansion led JMP to invest in a new high-efficiency cogeneration unit, which guarantees continuous lighting and air temperature regulation in the greenhouse.
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CHP Podcast
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