What can I choose in the calculator?
Contents
- Impact
- Global market
- Definition
- Constraints
- Assumptions
- References
IMPACT – What are the impacts of Decentralised Advanced Cogeneration?
Energy system
Reduces primary energy demand by meeting energy demands with a higher overall efficiency.
Likely to increase total fossil fuel consumption.
Unlikely to promote an increased share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix.
Likely to reduce pressure on the grid by providing distributed generation capacity.
Likely to decrease energy independence.
Likely to increase energy security by reinforcing the grid with distributed generation.
Environment & Climate
Likely to reduce global CO2 emissions.
Unlikely to increase deposited waste
Society & Economy
Likely to significantly increase the cost of the energy transition.
May worsen balance of payments by increasing fossil fuel imports.
Can potentially provide consumers with power in emergencies and during grid failures.
GLOBAL MARKET – What is the global market for Decentralised Advanced Cogeneration?
DEFINITION / CONSTRAINTS
DEFINITION - What is Decentralised Advanced Cogeneration?
In a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, the energy from a fuel is used to generate electricity and heat. Thermodynamically, the heat is recovered from the waste heat of the electricity generation process resulting in a higher overall energy efficiency than can be achieved if the processes are operated separately.
Advanced cogeneration systems would consist of a fuel cell that generates both electricity and hot water. Such systems are most typically fuelled with natural gas.
CONSTRAINTS - What are the key barriers facing Decentralised Advanced Cogeneration deployment?
• The capital cost of advanced cogeneration systems is significantly higher than the one of more conventional technologies and is likely to require some policy incentive to support deployment.
• Cogeneration systems need to be connected to the electricity grid to be most effective and this can be challenging from a technical and regulatory viewpoint.
• A significant fraction of both the electricity and heat output of a distributed CHP system must be used to make the system cost effective. It can often be challenging to simultaneously match both loads in small distributed applications.