Co-generation

Cogeneration (combined heat and power) (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat.

Conventional power plants emit the heat created as a byproduct of electricity generation into the environment through cooling towers, as flue gas, or by other means. CHP or a bottoming cycle captures the byproduct heat for domestic or industrial heating purposes, either on site, or for distribution. Byproduct heat at moderate temperatures can also be used in absorption chillers for cooling (as in food processing). A plant producing electricity, heat and cold is sometimes called trigeneration or more generally: polygeneration plant.

In this category you will find cogeneration plants in the Sierra and other forest communities that use woody biomass, and by-products of wood manufacturing as a primary source fuel.

General Tools in this Category:

• USDA Rural Energy Programs, see USDA
• Toolkit and case study for a working biomass-fired plant in Santa Fe, NM, view the
  Local Energy website.
  
• Local energy security and why we need it, see Massachusetts Tech

New Case Studies Coming Soon:
• Northern Nevada Correctional Center
• SPI Biomass CoGen Plants
• TerraBella Mill
• USDA Rural Electricity Development Projects
• Collins Pine Co-Genplant (Chester, CA)