Combined heat and power (CHP), or cogeneration, offers a range of potential benefits for commercial applications such as offices, retail developments, mixed use developments and district energy schemes. Commercial CHP systems are successfully applied in a range of different applications including office buildings, airports and retail centres.
Where there is a local demand for cooling, combined cooling heat and power technology, also called trigeneration may provide added benefits.
Financial savings and tax benefits
Commercial CHP systems can provide significant financial savings on fuel costs used to provide electricity, heat and cooling. In some countries the government provides tax benefits to the owner of cogeneration plants.
Resilient, stable and flexible power supply
Utilising the local natural gas supply network gas engine-based CHP systems provide a stable supply of electrical power that, if needed, can be isolated from the local electricity grid. The heat produced by the engine can be recovered either as hot water or as steam for use by surrounding operations. In addition, if there is a local need for cooling power, the heat can be fed into an absorption chiller providing a source of cold water. This cold water can in turn be used to support a refrigeration or air conditioning system. Systems providing electricity, heat and cooling are called trigeneration plants.
Gas engine CHP plants can be combined with other power generation or storage technologies as part of a microgrid.
Environmental benefits
Gas engine CHP plants generate electricity at high efficiency. They can be fuelled by a range of low carbon and renewable gases to improve environmental performance of a commercial building or development. Embedded generation helps to minimise losses associated with transmission of electricity.
Commercial Applications
Gas engine-based combined heat and power can be used in a variety of different commercial applications. Potential users include:
- Office buildings
- Airports
- Retail developments
- Combined residential and commercial developments
- District energy schemes
To find out more about the benefits of cogeneration for your development please contact your local Clarke Energy office for more information.
External Commercial CHP Links