Combined Heat & Power (CHP) cogeneration unit installation guide
Discover how to heat your home and generate electricity.
What is combined heat and power generation?
Combined heat and power generation (CHP) is technology which uses the process of cogeneration to provide the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat. This contrasts with conventional ways of generating electricity, where vast amounts of heat is wasted. In a conventional coal and gas fired power station, up to two thirds of the energy is consumed in this way and is often lost as steam. By using a CHP unit, the heat generated to produce power is instead used for domestic hot water and central heating backup.
What savings can be made from installing a CHP unit?
There are many financial benefits to installing a CHP unit, these include:
- Reduced energy costs
- Stabilised electricity costs over a fixed period
- Potential payments available from the Domestic RHI scheme
Is CHP environmentally friendly?
Yes, by generating your own power you will be significantly reducing your carbon footprint. This is because you will no longer be solely relying on power station generated electricity and instead you will be making use of the heat produced when power is generated.
CHP units powered by natural gas can reduce your carbon emissions by around 20%, whilst this figure increases to 30% if you are using one of our systems powered by biofuels or biogas.
The environmental benefits of CHP include:
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Reduced energy use
- Reduced transmission losses from the grid
- Lower SOx emissions
How can CHP be used with other heating systems?
Yes, Viessmann system technology allows all of our heating systems to be used in-conjunction with one another. Our CHP units work particularly well with our biomass boilers, photovoltaics and ground source heat pumps.