| Combined Heat and Power or CHP is a relatively | | | | as micro CHP systems. These systems represent |
| unknown technology to anyone with little | | | | a gas-fired boiler, providing heat for space and |
| knowledge of the different renewable technologies | | | | water heating, just like a boiler, but also the added |
| available and generally isn't the first technology | | | | extra of providing electricity for lighting and |
| you come to think of when researching ways to | | | | appliances. There are two types of micro CHP; |
| save energy and the environment, but CHP is a | | | | Stirling engines and fuel cells, the latter being a |
| highly efficient way to use both fossil and | | | | future technology. |
| renewable fuels to generate energy. This article | | | | A major benefit of CHP is that overall efficiency |
| explains what CHP is and what some benefits are. | | | | is in excess of 70% at the point of use. This is |
| First of all CHP is the generation of heat and | | | | because CHP systems extensively use the |
| power in a single process, that means when the | | | | by-product heat, produced during electricity |
| electricity is generated the heat from generating it | | | | generation, unlike traditional power stations where |
| is used at the same time. When the electricity is | | | | the heat/steam is lost through the large chimneys |
| being generated the by-product heat is stored in a | | | | into the air. A typical power station would have |
| heat recovery boiler and can be used to raise | | | | around 30-50% efficiencies at the point of use. A |
| steam, to provide water heating, while the | | | | big factor of power stations having lower |
| electricity can be used for the electrical needs of | | | | efficiencies is that the power needs to be |
| a home or business. To achieve this, a CHP plant | | | | transmitted to the point of use, unlike CHP, |
| needs a fuel source, such as natural gas or | | | | resulting in energy losses. |
| biomass and generally consists of a gas turbine, | | | | CHP is suitable for buildings that particularly need a |
| an engine or a steam turbine to drive an | | | | lot of energy or operate around the clock, such |
| alternator which produces the electricity. | | | | as leisure centres, hotels, factories and hospitals. |
| CHP systems vary in size, some are large to | | | | CHP systems can also be used for cooling, with |
| power large industrial businesses and some are | | | | the addition of a cooler, a process called |
| small to power a single home usually referred to | | | | "trigeneration". |