Combined Heat And Power (CHP) Generator Systems

Lower Operating Costs And Lower Emissions With Cogeneration.
Cat^® gas generator sets can simultaneously provide electricity for electrical loads and heat energy for a facility's thermal requirements. Any Cat natural gas-fueled engine can be configured specifically for applications involving heat recovery.

Combined Heat And Power (CHP) Projects Offer Additional Benefits:
Where grid electricity and natural gas boilers often provide less than 50 percent efficiency, Cat^® Combined Heat And Power (CHP) projects offer additional benefits:

• Energy efficiency up to 90 percent
• Cheaper relative to separate heat and electrical generation systems
• Lower emissions than separate heat and electrical generation systems
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification available via energy efficiency credits

How Does Cogeneration Increase Efficiency?
Nearly two-thirds of the energy used by conventional electricity generation is wasted in the form of heat discharged to the atmosphere. Additional energy is wasted during the distribution of electricity to end users. By capturing and using heat that would otherwise be wasted, and by avoiding distribution losses, CHP can achieve efficiencies of over 80 percent, compared to 50 percent for typical technologies (i.e., conventional electricity generation and an on-site boiler).

Most Common Combined Heat And Power Systems And Technology

• Combustion turbine or reciprocating engine CHP systems – burn fuel (natural gas, oil, or biogas) to turn generators to produce electricity and use heat recovery devices to capture the heat from the turbine or engine. This heat is converted into useful thermal energy, usually in the form of steam or hot water.
• Steam boiler with steam turbines – the process begins by producing steam in a boiler. The steam is then used to turn a turbine to run a generator to produce electricity. The steam leaving the turbine can be used to produce useful thermal energy. These systems can use a variety of fuels, such as natural gas, oil, biomass, and coal.

CHP Is Used In Over 4,400 Large Buildings And Facilities Nationwide, Including:
Commercial buildings – office buildings, hotels, health clubs, nursing homes
Residential – condominiums, co-ops, apartments, planned communities
Institutions – colleges and universities, hospitals, prisons, military bases
Municipal – district energy systems, wastewater treatment facilities, K-12 schools
Manufacturers – chemical, refining, ethanol, pulp and paper, food processing, glass manufacturing