Commercial Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

Commercial CHP systems can provide significant financial savings on fuel costs used to provide electricity and heat. In some countries the government provides tax benefits to the owner of cogeneration plants.

Utilising the local natural gas supply network gas engine-based cogeneration 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.

Natural gas has the lowest levels of carbon dioxide production and is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels. GE Jenbacher gas engines generate electricity at high efficiency making the greatest use of the fuel source. The utilisation of cogeneration for embedded generation helps minimise losses of electricity associated with its transmission from centralised power plants. With the addition of carbon dioxide recovery systems carbon dioxide can be sequestered in plants or utilised in manufacturing processes helping provide the highest levels of environmental performance.

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