Heating Power

What is a Combined Heating Power Boiler (CHP) and How Does It Work?

CHP,  Combined Heating Power is a unit that uses a single fuel source (gas) to operate an internal combustion engine which is connected and drives a generator to produce 3-phase AC electricity for immediate site use.

The cost to run a gas engine that turns an alternator to produce 3-phase power is made at a fraction of the cost compared to the grid charge you get.

In addition to this low power production, the CHP has heat exchangers fitted that are able to capture the thermal heat from the engine water cooling jacket in order to deliver “free” hot water for contributing to space Heating Power, or to producing domestic hot water for washing & cleaning processes.

The CHP can load following the site demand. This means it will run and modulate up and down in parallel synchronisation with sites load requirements in order to maintain an efficient low-cost running CHP unit

Heating Power

How can A CHP Unit Benefit High Heating Power Energy Users Such as Laundries, Hospital, Hotels or Food Processing Plants?

These facilities are notoriously very energy-intensive sites, from the requirement of hot water for industrial washing machines from either boiler or from electric immersion heaters, to the electrical power required to heat and run the tumble dryers and ironing presses, all of which require electricity in order to operate effectively.

This is where a Combined Heating Power unit comes into its own.

A Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system is essentially an advanced boiler that not only generates thermal energy but also produces electricity. This dual-functionality makes it an efficient solution for industries with high energy demands, such as laundries and manufacturing plants. By producing both heat and power from a single fuel source, a CHP system can deliver hot water for various industrial processes, such as feeding copper hot water generators that supply washing machines.

How Can CHP Provide Low Running Costs?

A CHP only requires gas to operate its own unit, therefore it can deliver low-cost hot water and electrical power at a fraction of the cost you would otherwise be charged if you used separate boilers (running on gas). Used in conjunction with Copper industries’ Hot Water Generators, the energy saving yet again reduces Further.

As an example, if you had a 100 kW CHP using gas at a cost of 0.08p/kWh, it will make hot water & produce power at a joint cost of 0.10p/kW saving at least 0.12p KW as you don’t need the gas for the gas boiler, or the electricity for the immersion heaters

The electrical power produced by a CHP can be used immediately by the site equipment to reduce the site’s electrical consumption costs as the CHP will deliver power at a lower cost to the grid supply charges.

The thermal hot water produced from the engine cooling jacket of a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system, typically at around 80°C, offers versatile applications that can greatly enhance both operational efficiency and energy savings in a variety of industrial and commercial settings. This high-temperature water can be utilized in numerous ways, depending on the specific energy requirements and infrastructure of the facility.

how to reduce energy consumption

Real-Life Case Study of Heating Power

A commercial laundry in north London uses 1,268,733 kWh of electricity a year. (Half Hour Data for historical site use has been provided)
Gas tariff is 0.08p/kWh & electric is 0.53p/kWh
By sizing a 350 kW CHP against the HH Data provided the CHP will produce and contribute approx.84% of the site load requirement. The remaining power will be bought from the grid supplier, as trying to grab 100% of the site's load runs the risk of oversizing a CHP, especially as site loads can vary from month to month, year to year.
At this stage, the client cannot use the thermal heat in stage 1, but if they could, then the ROI would be less than a year. The CO2 saving with onsite power cogeneration at this stage delivers a saving of 17,425.3 kgs/kWh
how to reduce energy consumption