CHP
Integrated systems for cooling, heating and power (CHP) for buildings incorporate multiple technologies for providing energy services to a single building or to a campus of buildings. Electricity to such buildings is provided by on-site or near-site power generators using one or more of the many options: internal combustion (IC) engines, combustion turbines, mini- or micro-turbines, and fuel cells. In CHP systems, waste heat from power generation equipment is recovered for operating equipment for cooling, heating, or controlling humidity in buildings, by using absorption chillers, desiccant dehumidifiers, or heat recovery equipment for producing steam or hot water. These integrated systems are known by a variety of acronyms: CHP, CHPB (Cooling, Heating and Power for Buildings), CCHP (Combined Cooling Heating and Power), BCHP (Buildings Cooling, Heating and Power), and IES (Integrated Energy Systems).
CHP systems provide many benefits, including:
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Vision Vision of the U.S. Department of Energy and its partners in CHP for buildings is that by the year 2020, CHP for buildings will be the preferred method of energy utilization in commercial and institutional buildings. Mission The mission of the Midwest CHP Application Center is to provide application assistance, technology information, and educational support necessary to:
Focus The focus of the center is to establish a solid three-prong approach to assist the professional community to rapidly and successfully apply integrated CHP systems by providing:
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The Midwest CHP Initiative is an alliance of environmental, industry, and government organizations. It has formed a task force to promote the installation of clean, energy-efficient "combined heat and power." The mission of the Initiative is to double the amount of CHP in the Midwest by 2010. The Midwest CHP Initiative will focus on the strong base of CHP already in use in the Midwest, especially in the "industrial crescent" around the Lake Michigan basin. To achieve its mission, the Midwest CHP Initiative will work to remove marketplace and government barriers to CHP development. The Initiative's game-plan includes streamlining the permitting process, implementing interconnect and free access guidelines for states, educating pertinent policy makers and industry groups, and developing a pro-CHP policy platform for legislative changes in Midwestern states. The founding organizations of the Midwest CHP Initiative include the Delta Institute, the Gas Technology Institute, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, NiSource, and the Energy Resource Center of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Other participants include: U.S. Department of Energy, Indiana Department of Commerce, Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Wisconsin Division of Energy, Michigan Public Service Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Northeast-Midwest Institute, Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago, and Exergy Partners. There is also the Midwest Cogen Association (MCA) that serves to promote a greater public understanding of cogeneration, independent power production, and distributed generation. In addition, MCA works to improve general business conditions of the industry. The non-profit organization provides pertinent information for its members to conduct research, publish reports, and hold various seminars and workshops with the goal to advance the concept of cogeneration throughout the Midwest. MCA was incorporated in 1984 and covers the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Members of MCA include leaders from a variety of organizations in both the public and private sectors. The membership includes: engineers, end users, equipment vendors, equipment contractors, project financiers, architects, project developers, government officials, educational personnel, and utility representatives. |