Early micro CHP concepts considered the inclusion of energy storage components to be indispensable for a number of reasons.  A substantial thermal store, for example, meant that the unit could run to produce electricity when it was most valuable, whereas electrical storage meant that the unit might be able to meet the entire electrical needs of the home without the need for grid connection.

However, as products neared market, it became apparent that the complexity and cost of such concepts outweighed the befits for the majority of applications; the majority of micro CHP products are currently intended for grid-parallel operation as this represents by far the biggest market in the developed world.

Nevertheless, even in this context, limited energy storage can have significant benefits, particularly for engine based systems in which continuous cycling can have an adverse effect on engine life.

The control of micro CHP operation has profound implications both for the home and for the national electricity network to which it is connected.  From the householders' perspective, the ability to match generation to demand will enhance the value of the micro CHP output.  From a generator's or network operators perspective, there are potential benefits in micro CHP acting as a "Virtual Power Plant", centrally controlled and acting within the national generation portfolio.  However, whoever has control of micro CHP generation, there are clearly benefits in aligning output with periods of high value (economically and environmentally) electricity.  

Traditionally, electricity has been centrally generated and distributed down through the network to individual consumers, being metered at point of consumption.  Entire infrastructures have been developed to measure and manage this process.  The need to measure and attribute an appropriate value to generation flowing from the home raises challenges for metering technology and for the related infrastructure.