micro combined heat & power

Micro CHP (micro Combined Heat & Power) is the simultaneous production of heat and electricity in individual homes. Effectively the micro CHP unit replaces the gas central heating boiler and provides heat and hot water as usual, but additionally provides the majority of the home's electricity needs. Although individual units produce, by definition, relatively small amounts of electricity, the significance of micro CHP lies in the potentially huge numbers of systems which may ultimately be installed in the millions of homes in the UK and other European countries where natural gas is currently the dominant heating fuel. It is anticipated that, ultimately, micro CHP may provide 20% or so of the UK's electricity generating capacity, more than is currently obtained from nuclear power.

This site is provided as an information source for the general public and students interested in micro CHP. Click on the links above (or below) to access papers, product information and news about forthcoming and past micro CHP events as well as links to related sources of information.

Introduction

For a simple introduction to what micro CHP is and how it works, click on the title above.

In early 2004, the first true micro CHP units became available in the UK from E.ON UK. Products are now available in UK, Germany, Netherlands, Japan and USA.

Papers

An archive of papers relating to micro CHP.

Although papers will be added on an ongoing basis, please note that individual papers will not be changed, so check the publication date to see how relevant they are...and to see how wrong my predictions were!

Economics

Micro CHP offers significant economic, social and environmental benefits. However, before investing in micro CHP, you may want to undertake a simple economic payback calculation. Just download the excel spreadsheet and insert the relevant data for your home.

Products

Micro and mini CHP products which are available now and under development.

Information on so-called "enabling technologies" which enhance the performance and value of the micro CHP products themselves is also included.

Events

As interest in micro CHP grows, numerous conferences and similar events are continuously taking place.

The list is not exhaustive; please send details of any events you think should be included.

Links

This section includes links to international energy related sites, with particular focus on Distributed Generation and micro CHP. Links to manufacturers and developers of micro CHP can now be found within the relevant product sections.

Publications

A number of the papers on this site have been published as parts of books on the subject of micro CHP.

The books included on this page include papers by other authors and may be ordered from the publishers.