s CHP
SEPA COMBINED HEAT AND
POWER PARTNERSHIP
PA's Combined Heat and Power Partnership
Benefits of CHP
CHP systems achieve fuel use effi-
ciencies of 60 to 80 percent, com-
pared to average fossil-fueled power
plant efficiencies of 33 percent in the
United States. This improvement in
efficiency translates to:
• Reduced total fossil fuel use
• Lower operating costs
• Reduced emissions of regulated air
pollutants
• Reduced emissions of greenhouse
gases
• Increased reliability and power
quality
• Reduced grid congestion and
avoided distribution losses
For these reasons, businesses and
others have installed more than
80,000 megawatts (MW) of CHP
capacity in the United States, mak-
ing CHP a proven pollution reduction
technology option.
Combined heat and power (CHP), or cogeneration, is an efficient
and clean approach to generating power and useful thermal
energy from a single fuel source. CHP is used to replace or
supplement conventional separate heat and power (SHP) (i.e.,
central station electricity available via the grid and an onsite boiler
or heater). Every CHP application involves the recovery of
otherwise wasted thermal energy to produce additional power or
useful thermal energy; as such, CHP provides greater energy
efficiency and environmental benefits than SHP.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the
EPA CHP Partnership as a voluntary program that promotes high-
efficiency CHP technologies across the United States. The
Partnership works closely with energy users, the CHP industry,
state and local governments, and other clean energy stakeholders
to facilitate the development of new projects and to promote their
environmental and economic benefits.
Benefits of Joining the EPA CHP Partnership
The Partnership offers a variety of tools and services designed to facilitate and
promote Partners' development of CHP projects. In addition to the offerings list-
ed, check out the complete list of tools, services, and benefits on our Web site:
www.epa.gov/chp.
Education & Outreach
• Information for regulators, policymakers, and utilities to encourage energy
efficiency and CHP.
• Peer-to-peer marketing and networking at workshops and conferences.
• Examples of model state policies for promoting CHP, such as
output-based emissions regulations, CHP-friendly utility rates, and renewable
portfolio standards that include CHP.
• The CHP Partnership newsletter, which provides information about Partner
activities and accomplishments, funding opportunities, and upcoming events.
• The biannual Partnership Update, which showcases the efforts and accom-
plishments of our Partners and highlights opportunities for increased use of
CHP.
Public Recognition
• ENERGY STAR® CHP Awards and publicity.
• A profile on the Partnership Web site with information about each Partner.
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What You Can Do to
Encourage CHP
Energy Users. Evaluate your
needs for clean, reliable power, as
well as heating and/or cooling,
and consider CHP. Potential CHP
users include industrial plants,
data centers, universities, com-
mercial or institutional buildings,
district energy systems,
hotels/casinos, ethanol production
facilities, wastewater treatment
facilities, and light industrial
power parks. Energy users can
achieve emissions reductions, cost
savings, and increased reliability
with CHP.
CHP Project Developers and
Equipment Suppliers. Take
advantage of the CHP
Partnership's market development
activities, tools, permitting guid-
ance, networking, and project
recognition to increase your pro-
file, effectively target energy
users, and expand your business.
Utilities. Establish policies and
rates that facilitate CHP develop-
ment in your service territory. In
areas of electric grid congestion or
high demand, CHP can reduce
load pockets and offer grid sup-
port at times of peak demand.
Through teaming with customers
that have large thermal demands,
CHP can allow a generation utility
to generate electricity with less
fuel while receiving a steady rev-
enue stream from a thermal host.
State and Local Governments.
Review energy policies in your
state to ensure that they are not
creating unintended barriers to
CHP deployment by energy users.
Using CHP to improve the efficien-
cy of the energy sector helps
state and local governments meet
energy and air quality goals.
• An Annual Greenhouse Gas Reduction Report—a certificate that shows the
carbon reductions associated with the Partner's projects, as well as equiva-
lent benefits in terms of acres of trees planted and car emissions prevented.
Direct Project Assistance
• CHP project qualification to determine whether CHP is worth considering at a
particular facility.
• Technical assistance for candidate sites, including spark spread analyses,
level 1 feasibility studies, and third-party review of feasibility/design studies.
• Up-to-date lists of state and federal incentives for CHP, biomass- and biogas-
fueled applications, and information on state policies and utility rates favor-
able to clean distributed generation projects.
• The CHP Emissions Calculator, which compares the anticipated C02, S02, and
NOX emissions from a CHP system to the emissions from a system that uses
separate heat and power.
Resources
• Current information on funding resources, including lists of state and federal
incentives for CHP and biomass/biogas projects, as well as favorable regula-
tory/rates opportunities.
• Analyses of CHP potential in targeted strategic markets, such as ethanol,
hotels/casinos, wastewater treatment, and data centers.
• Technical white papers and clean energy policy resource documents.
Your Role as a Partner
Partners work with EPA to promote CHP benefits and support the development
of new CHP capacity. EPA provides tools and services to support Partners as
they investigate and develop new CHP capacity.
Industry and Energy User Partners agree to work with EPA to:
• Assess the potential for additional CHP development at their facilities.
• Publicize the energy, environmental, and economic benefits of their projects.
• Provide EPA with minimal operational data, allowing EPA to evaluate the
partnership's success at reducing emissions through CHP.
Government Partners agree to:
• Support the development of new projects within their state and promote the
benefits of CHP within their agency and their state.
For more information about the EPA's CHP Partnership, including
how to join, contact:
Felicia Ruiz, Program Manager
Tel.: (202) 343-9129
Fax: (202) 343-2208
E-mail: ruiz.felicia@epa.gov
Web site: www.epa.gov/chp
§ CHP
&EPA COMBINED HEAT AND
POWER PARTNERSHIP
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