Combined heat and power is all about energy efficiency and energy recycling.

 

At LoCO2 Energy, we class combined heat and power as low-carbon electricity. Generally, it's cheaper than renewable energy so we top up the 20% renewables found in our Pocket tariff with electricity from combined heat and power plants – giving price-conscious customers a way to make a meaningful impact to their carbon emissions.

 

Combined heat and power plants 'recycle' energy produced during electricity production to create useful heat.

 

Most of us will have seen coal-fired or gas-fired power stations chugging steam into the air through their cooling towers. In a combined heat and power plant, this steam is typically captured and used elsewhere. The 'elsewhere' could be in a district heating system, exporting heat in the form of hot water to a local community, or even used to heat nearby greenhouses for vegetables. The greenhouses at British Sugar's Wissington combined heat and power plant can supply nearly 10% of the UK's demand for tomatoes!

 

Combined heat and power plants are extremely efficient. They regularly reach 80% or even 90% efficiency (the amount of fuel burned relative to the energy gain). Gas-fired power stations are normally around 50% efficient, whilst coal-fired power stations are even worse at 38%. At the bare minimum, a gas-fired combined heat and power plant would have 10% reduction in carbon emissions compared to a similarly sized normal gas-fired power station.

 

When we buy our electricity for the Pocket tariff through combined heat and power, we are encouraging efficient use of energy – you're putting the same amount of fuel in for greater energy gain. And we think that's a perfect compromise for customers who don't feel they can afford the more expensive 100% renewable tariffs.

 

Anyone who has seen a New York based film noir will have noticed the iconic Manhattan 'steaming vent'. This is actually an outlet for Con Edison's combined heat and power network where seven combined heat and power plants dotted around New York distribute heat throughout 100,000 buildings.

 

New York aside, Europe is the home of combined heat and power. It is estimated that 11% of Europe's total energy production comes from combined heat and power plants. Some European countries generate up to 60% of their electricity at combined heat and power plants, with Denmark, Holland and Finland being notable examples.

 

In the UK, steps are being taken to encourage combined heat and power uptake. The government pledged to source 15% of its electricity demand from combined heat and power by 2010. The Department for Energy and Climate Change also has a microsite to encourage combined heat and power installation.

 

 

The UK feed-in tariff scheme counts micro-CHP as a renewable technology eligible for feed-in tariffs. Micro-CHP could be powered either by renewable or non-renewable sources but it is designed to replace a typical household gas boiler. The unit would produce electricity but also utilise the waste heat to heat the home.

 

Interestingly, a report published by Claverton Energy ranks micro-CHP as having a far greater way of reducing carbon emissions than the much more popular solar PV panels.