Abstract
If more widely deployed, small-scale cogeneration could increase energy efficiency in Europe. Of the two main commercially available technologies—the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the micro Gas Turbine (mGT)—the ICE dominates the market due to its higher electrical efficiency. However, by transforming the mGT into a micro Humid Air Turbine (mHAT), the electrical efficiency of this cycle can increase, thus enhancing its operational flexibility. This paper presents an in-depth policy and economic assessment of the the ICE, mGT and mHAT technologies for dwellings based in Spain, France and Belgium. The hourly demands of average households, the market conditions and the subsidies applicable in each region are considered. The aim is twofold: to evaluate the profitability of the technologies and to assess the cogeneration policies in place. The results show that only the ICE in Brussels is economically viable, despite all units providing positive energy savings in all locations (except mHAT in Spain). Of the three different green certificate schemes offered in Belgium, Brussels is the one leading to the best outcome. Spain awards both capital and operational helps, although auto-consumption is not valued. The same applies to the complex French feed-in tariff. Conclusively, with the current policies, investing in small-scale cogeneration is in general not attractive and its potential efficiency gains remain unveiled.
Highlights
Cogeneration— known as Combined Heat and Power (CHP)—enables the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, saving a substantial amount of primary energy compared to traditional energy generation [1]
The required number of dwellings to reach the heat output of the small-scale cogeneration units is much larger in Spain (193 as opposed to 94 dwellings in Belgium for the micro Gas Turbine (mGT) case, see Table 4)
District heating losses have not been taken into account in this estimate; their effect would be limited to perhaps a slight reduction of the number of dwellings that the CHP units provide to, not to the economic and policy analysis results
Summary
Cogeneration— known as Combined Heat and Power (CHP)—enables the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, saving a substantial amount of primary energy compared to traditional energy generation [1]. Cogeneration units can be mostly found in large commercial or industrial facilities; a more wide deployment of micro (up to 50 kW) and small-scale (up to 1 MW) CHP could further contribute to increasing energy efficiency in smaller applications [2]. Energies 2019, 12, 413 cogeneration: the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the micro Gas Turbine (mGT). The market is still largely dominated by the ICE due to its higher electrical efficiency (∼35 % for a unit with a power output of 100 kWe as opposed to ∼30 % for an mGT of the same capacity) [3]. MGTs do offer some advantages compared to ICEs: the absence of reciprocating and friction components means that balancing problems are few and the need for lubricant oil is very low. The recoverable heat is high-grade and concentrated in the exhaust gases, while in the ICE cycle it is spread between the exhaust gases, cooling jacket and lubricant oil [4,5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
