CHP units in US?

Rich Kontny_3

Most generate electricity and use the waste heat for space heat or domestic water heating. Free watt by Climate Energy is a very clear example of this. This concept is not new as I saw an installation in an apartment complex in the late seventies.

The utility contols the amount of energy going into the grid and therefore controls how much you can sell back to them. The misconception is that you can sell everything you produce back to the utilities. This is only true if they are in a peak usage situation or have some kind of power down situation.

CHPs are catching on in the northeast and will most likey become more popular. However as utilities upgrade and have excess power generating capacity they won't need added power to there grid system.

Check with your local utility regarding buyback power and also do the math regarding paybacks etc.

Rich K

Timco

Are there any combo heat & power units in the US right now? How do they tie into the power system?

Tim

EJ hoffman

Clear edge

http://www.clearedgepower.com/ They have been using in mansions and dropping the waste water into pools. I see on the website you win a free trip to portland, but the factory is located in hillsboro oregon, currently not using them in oregon because electrcity is about even with the cost of the natural gas burned.

Mitch_4

Eric

I believe he is looking for CHP system, not using NG to generate.

Try here



www.freewatt.com

Mitch_4

Rich is corerct

The concept is called Net metering and to have any benefit from home generation, your utility needs to see what you are sending to the grid.

Likely average use may exceed capacity, and the meter will spin normally, but during the times the CHP is running and producing excess electricity your meter literaluy spins in reverse, generating a credit.

Contact you utility about net metering..I know where I am if the electricity feeding the grid without a special net meter installed, you get cut off from the grid.

Ask themn about it and explain why you are inquiring..My local utility advised me there is no additional charge for a net meter, but it MUST be installed before I can do any home generation (solar, wind or CHP)

EJ hoffman

CHP

this is a CHP it just uses natural gas to produce hydrogen, and uses the hydrogen to generate electricity and one of the waste products is 150 deg water. if you read the faq page on the website it even says this is a chp unit. They are expensive, but it is an american product.

Mitch_4

Thanks I found it

Interesting, for the size the unit says it only produces 5kilowatts annually...the Freewatt is 1.2kw / HOUR that is a HUGE difference. I think something is wrong with the clear edge statement.

The Free watt has a couple of differences, one it works with forced air as well as hydronic heat. Frewatt uses the Hoda generator, but the system is designed and built in North America.