Micro-CHP

Shrubsteppe

Hello all 
I am intrigued at the potential for a Micro-CHP system. I kmow it is gaining popularity in the NE. My specific location and my heat + elec. requirements would lend itself to this set-up nicely. I will be completely off-grid. 
Anyone have info on installers / manufacturers in the NW ? I'm in Wa state.
Thx

Jamie Hall

Your best bet is going to be to Google "microchp" and take a look. Here's one manufacturer:: https://www.axiom-energy.com/microchp . They seem to be out of Wisconsin. There are others. Unless you are very handy and a pretty fair engineer with a mechanical bent, I wouldn't try to create one from scratch, atlhough I know people who have done it using a water cooled marine generator as the heart of the system.

hot_rod

They are thermally led, meaning that you need a consistent thermal load for them to pencil out  We did a Coffee with Caleffi webinar on the Lochinvar system a few years back

Derheatmeister

I perfer Thermally Lead Systems...I have seen Thermaly lead or Eletrical lead or the "perfectly Balanced" Systems using Modulating Equipment in conjunction with different Storage Systems and PV while only DHW mode and no heat is required..
Selection depends on many variables i.e Access to Grid or Not..Propane,Nat or Methane Gas and the protential rates hikes thereof..
Low temp vs high temp. Home efficiency/Insulation..Electrical Rates for protential feed back,Tax Incentives..
The EU,Japan and Canada are the leaders in this..
Up till now the N.American market has not so supportive of this and with the Great Electrification probably another hurdel that will be hard to overcome ? Or can this be a benefit by feeding back ?...Not sure.
I have not looked at these for a while now and am pleased to hear that the NE is supportive of these systems..
I looked at Honda years ago their system is called Freewatt..
One of the pioneers in Germany is Dachs :https://www.senertec.de/
Here is a Canadian site: https://www.emtfsask.ca/presentations/saskatoon/07-03-12-chris-james-chp.pdf..
Get all your facts together including support of the equipment...Plan ahead.
Hope it works out for you.

hot_rod

The Lochinvar pulls heat from the exhaust, coolant, and the generator, clever. But only if you have a use for 160,000 BTU/ hr

If it is hot enough maybe run some absorbition chillers from the thermal

Much of the energy from a recripocating energy is heat, or waste heat.

Derheatmeister

hot_rod said:

The Lochinvar pulls heat from the exhaust, coolant, and the generator, clever. But only if you have a use for 160,000 BTU/ hr

If it is hot enough maybe run some absorbition chillers from the thermal

Much of the energy from a recripocating energy is heat, or waste heat.

That is how most of the Good ones "Recover" the Heat.. Nothing is wasted !

I do not remember the details about the Lochinvar system, But when i looked at this unit at the Last 2019 AHR i was not too impressed..It probably did not modulate down..I do not remember
The Dachs(Badger) can modulate to a very low RPM which is better for Wear and tear..
Due to the Flywheel effect/Low RPM feature the Decibels are so low that it can hardy be heard..
Reminds me of the old Hit N'Miss motors you used to see on the farms..
I remember seening the Dachs in operation at the ISH and you would not know that they were operating..
Most domestic CHP units i have seen over here are just aother Kohler/Cummins engine that are very loud.
Not sure what the dB on the Ecopower units are ?

Derheatmeister

BTW:The average dB level on the Ecopower units is 55 dB