Strategic Markets for CHP
Strategic Markets
Key Resources
- The white paper report on The Role of Distributed Generation and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems in Data Centers (PDF) (31 pp, 633K, About PDF) describes the benefits of CHP for data centers and shows energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions resulting from the use of CHP.
- The Efficient Energy for Local Governments Fact Sheet summarizes the potential opportunities for installing CHP in municipalities, provides two case study examples, and describes assistance the CHP Partnership offers to local governments. Download a PDF version (2 pp, 124K, About PDF) to print and share.
Combined heat and power (CHP) offers many benefits over separate heat and power for a wide variety of applications and users, such as:
- Industrial manufacturers
- Institutions
- Commercial buildings
- Municipalities
- Residential structures
Some sectors are well-suited to expand their use of CHP because: (1) CHP technology is a strong technical fit for these facilities' needs; and (2) CHP systems can potentially generate significant bottom-line cost savings for these industries and organizations.
The CHP Partnership has targeted some of its analysis and outreach efforts to increase awareness and adoption in four strategic market sectors: dry mill ethanol production, hotels and casinos, municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and utilities. The Partnership has found common elements in each of the markets it has examined:
- CHP is a strong technical fit for many facilities within each sector.
- CHP is commercially available and has been proven effective in each market application.
- CHP can be a compelling investment depending on local electricity prices and fuel costs.
- CHP has been underutilized in the market to date.
The Partnership's work in these sectors is intended to serve three main audiences: energy users, industry partners, and utilities.
For energy users, the Partnership provides sector-specific information on the technical and economic benefits of CHP. This information is intended to inform facility managers, owners, and decisionmakers about the environmental and economic returns that CHP can bring to their operations.
For CHP industry Partners, the Partnership provides market analyses of CHP opportunities within the targeted sectors. These analyses provide strategic utilities market intelligence and are intended to demonstrate where CHP industry Partners can focus their efforts on increasing their business's CHP market penetration.
For utilities, the Partnership provides information about "best practice" utility-initiated policies, programs, and incentives for CHP systems. The Partnership also facilitates peer exchange among utilities interested in promoting CHP. This information is intended to inform utilities about the benefits of CHP in their service territories, help them implement favorable CHP programs and incentives, and remove unintended barriers to CHP deployment.
The Partnership's work in the dry mill ethanol, hotels and casinos, wastewater treatment facility, and utilities market sectors includes:
- Evaluating the technical fit for CHP within each market sector.
- Conducting market-specific research and analysis of economic opportunities.
- Performing outreach to sector stakeholders, including energy users, sector associations, and relevant state and federal agencies.
- Providing project assistance to promote the installation of CHP in the sector.
Key highlights of the findings and opportunities in each of the sectors are summarized on the individual strategic utilities market pages: Dry Mill Ethanol, Hotels and Casinos, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities, and Utilities.