Cogeneration - Why it Makes Sense Right Now

There's never been a better time to consider industrial scale cogeneration than right now. Cogeneration or CHP, combined heat and power, is the simultaneous generation of electric power and heat—usually in the form of steam or hot water. It has long been a stalwart option in installations for hospitals and university campuses, however onsite small scale cogeneration is increasingly becoming a viable option for domestic and international industrial plants. Opportune industries include pulp and paper, breweries, canneries, manufacturing, agricultural industry: sugar, rice, wood, fertilizer, coconut/palm oil, steel industry, petro-chemical oil and gas, cement and aluminum industries. The increased viability of cogeneration is due to consistently low natural gas costs, and electricity prices remaining stubbornly high. Moreover, gas prices are expected to remain at historic lows for some time to come in the US as the country sits on ample reserves for the next 120 years, and as an aversion to imported foreign energy sources continues to grow. Currently in the US, natural gas hovers around $4 per million Btu, and historically is 5 or 6 times lower than the cost of distillate fuels.
Small scale cogeneration now is an extremely attractive option.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• cogeneration
• power plants
• distributed generation
• generators
• CHP
• combined heat and power
• renewable energy
• conservation
• steam
• steam power
• turbines
• gas turbines
• steam turbines
• on site power
• onsite power
• engines
• energy
• electric power
• power generation
• maven power
• power generation experts
• environment