Cogeneration systems of varying sizes have been designed and built for many different applications in many different places. Large-scale systems can be installed either on the site of a plant or off-site. Off-site plants have to be located close enough to a steam customer to enable them to cover the cost of a steam pipeline. Industrial or commercial facility owners can operate the plants, or they may be operated by a utility. At present, about 90 percent of cogeneration in the USA is used by industrial manufacturers. Cogeneration systems are also available for small-scale users of electricity. Small-scale packaged or modular systems are being manufactured for commercial and light industrial applications. Modular cogeneration systems are compact and economic to manufacture. These systems range in size from 20 kW to 650 kW and produce electricity and hot water. It is usually best to size the systems to meet the hot water needs of a building. As a result, the best applications are for buildings that have a constant and continual need for hot water or steam, such as hospitals, hotels or restaurants. In these instances, cogeneration plants can be used to ensure a reliable supply of power, heating and hot water/steam, even during interruptions to mains supplies. An example of this is shown in the case study on cogeneration as hospital backup.

Chapter Contents:

• 4.1 Who uses cogeneration?
• 4.1.1 Hotels
• 4.1.2 Hospitals
• 4.1.3 University campuses
• 4.1.4 Office buildings
• 4.1.5 Swimming pools and leisure centres
• 4.1.6 Stores and supermarkets
• CS Jurys Towers Hotel, Dublin
• CS Buchanan Hardwoods, Inc., Alabama, USA
• 4.2 District heating
• CS Lutherstadt Wittenberg
• 4.3 Operation and maintenance
• 4.4 Supplementary and auxiliary firing
• 4.5 Heat output from the cogeneration package
• 4.6 Utility interconnections
• 4.7 Future market development
• 4.8 Government support
• 4.9 Using cogeneration in hospitals
• 4.9.1 Save money
• 4.9.2 Improved reliability
• 4.9.3 Finance

Inspec keywords: steam power stations; cogeneration

Other keywords: power 20 kW to 650 kW; hot water-steam; large-scale systems; USA; steam pipeline; modular cogeneration systems

Subjects: Steam power stations and plants