What is Combined Heat & Power (CHP)?
Often called cogeneration, it is the COmbined GENeration
of electricity and heat energy from a single fuel source.
Virtually every hotel, semiconductor FAB, bottling plant, food processing facility, hospital, wood products mill, etc. uses large amounts of utility-supplied
electricity AND natural
gas for use in steam boilers or water heaters.
In proven cogeneration systems, that same natural
gas is diverted into a turbine or engine to generate electricity. Then, the waste
exhaust heat is used to make steam or hot water in a Heat Recovery boiler, which can then be used for heating or cooling (via heat absorption chilling) purposes. This simple system is typically 40%-60% more efficient AND less
polluting than traditional energy generation and delivery methods.
Total Energy systems are not new. They are proven in thousands of applications worldwide. It’s
the right time to do the right thing in the Western U.S.