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Combined heat and power (CHP) systems do not suit all sites’ requirements, so it’s important that you look carefully into whether or not it’s right for you. This will require a detailed site–by–site feasibility study.
The CHP technology overview (PDF) gives an introduction to CHP, its design, selection, installation and operation.
The key factors in deciding whether a combined heat and power (CHP) system is the right choice include:
The combined heat and power (CHP) system will provide heat, which can be used for space heating and hot water. For CHP to be viable it is important to have a high and consistent heat load for most of the year.
Long operating hours are required for the system to be cost-effective – ideally a minimum of 4,500 hours/year. In general, the longer the annual period of demand, the greater the cost savings.
There is a high capital cost involved – typically around £500,000 for a large–scale 1,000KWe generator
Generating electricity locally using a combined heat and power (CHP) system will normally be cheaper than purchasing electricity from a conventional supplier.
A critical issue is the relative price of the fuel used by the combined heat and power (CHP) system compared to the price of electricity and heat from other sources.
The level of confidence you can have in the demand for heat and power over the combined heat and power (CHP) system’s lifetime of about 10 - 15 years. Using an oversized system will lead to excessive heat dumping which will negatively impact the economics.
Combined heat and power (CHP) systems can be more easily integrated with a new system, so it should be considered at the very start of almost any energy-efficiency project, including:
Further information
Read about our field work in Micro CHP