What is cogeneration?
CHP plants work thanks to the conversion of kinetic energy coming from endothermic engines or gas turbines used for the combined production of electric and thermal energy. As it is not possible to transform all the heat developed by combustion into electrical power, cogeneration plants recover the heat dissipated in the process, using it for industrial processes, for heating buildings or for many other uses, not least the production of chilled or icy water by means of absorbers (we refer to this last case as trigeneration).
To be defined as cogenerative, a plant must meet the performance indexes imposed by ARERA, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment, which are essential to verify the actual fuel saving and balanced energy production.
In recent years, technological progress, together with research into energy efficiency, has led to the development of so-called High-Yield Cogeneration plants. To be considered as such, a high-efficiency cogeneration plant must comply with the conditions indicated in Ministerial Decree 4/8/2011 and in particular the PES index. When this parameter is higher than 0 for plants with an electrical power of less than 1 MW and higher than or equal to 10% for plants of a larger size, the cogeneration plant is considered to be high-efficiency.
The link between cogeneration and energy efficiency
According to experts from the European Commission, cogeneration plants can achieve energy efficiency levels of up to 90% compared to traditional electricity and heat production plants. Based on these data, it has been estimated that, by increasing the spread of these plants, it is possible to reduce greenhouse emissions by 250 million tonnes by 2020.
The environmental benefits of using cogeneration plants, and in particular High-Yield Cogeneration ones, are closely linked to the amount of fuel used in power generation processes and harmful emissions. CHP leads to a reduction in energy consumption of between 35 and 40%, with a consequent decrease in the dispersion of pollutants during the production of thermoelectric energy.
Companies that decide to invest in a cogeneration plant can also take advantage of the incentives provided by White Certificates.
Relying on the Renovis Rational Energy Solutions team, companies will be able to obtain the best assistance for the study and development of tailor-made cogeneration projects, designed to satisfy customer needs and the characteristics of the production plant, and be sure to benefit from the bonuses linked to Energy Efficiency Certificates.
Our company is an ESCO certified UNI CEI 11352 specialized in the realization of energy efficiency solutions for industries. In particular, to those who are interested in cogeneration we offer systems that involve internal combustion engines, gas and steam turbines, microturbines, combined cycles gas-steam and systems that allow the recovery of waste heat through the fumes.
For more information about Renovis Rational Energy Solutions or our cogeneration plants, please contact us.
