s CHP
SEPA COMBINED HEAT AND
POWER PARTNERSHIP
Opportunities and Resources for Biomass
Combined Heat and Power
Benefits
Using biomass instead of fossil fuels
to meet energy needs with CHP pro-
vides many potential environmental
and economic benefits, which can
include:
• Reduced greenhouse gas and
other emissions
• Reduced energy costs
• Improved local economic
development
• Reduced waste
• Expanded domestic fuel supply
• Reduced transmission and
distribution losses
Market and policy forces are increasingly driving strong interest in
biomass as a fuel source to reduce the environmental impact of
energy production and expand the development of domestic and
renewable energy sources. Biomass is used most efficiently for
power and heat production in combined heat and power (CHP)
projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) CHP
Partnership offers a wide variety of tools and resources for energy
users and other parties interested in biomass CHP.
Biomass CHP. In almost all cases, the production of electricity from biomass
resources is most economical when the resulting waste heat is also captured
and used as valuable thermal energy—known as CHP or cogeneration.
CHP is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat from a single fuel
source that can include fossil fuels, biomass, or biogas.
• Biomass fuels (e.g., wood waste, agricultural residues) can be combusted in
a boiler or gasified to fuel a CHP system.
• Biogases (e.g., landfill gas, digester gas) can be captured and combusted in
a CHP system much like natural gas.
CHP offers distributed generation of electrical and/or mechanical power;
waste-heat recovery for heating, cooling, or process applications; and seamless
system integration for a variety of technologies, thermal applications, and fuel
types into existing building infrastructure. CHP systems typically achieve total
system efficiencies of 60 to 80 percent for producing electricity and
thermal energy.
Key considerations for a successful biomass CHP project include:
Proximity to fuel source. Biomass is most economical as a fuel source when
the CHP system is located at or close to the biomass fuel stock.
Renewable portfolio standards (RPS). As of August 2007, 29 states and
the District of Columbia have an RPS, each of which includes biomass CHP as
a permissible renewable energy resource.
Grants, loans, or tax credits. Biomass CHP projects often qualify for addi-
tional state incentives that traditional CHP systems are ineligible to receive.
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EPA CHP Partnership Biomass Tools
and Resources
The EPA CHP Partnership offers a variety of tools and
services designed to facilitate and promote the develop-
ment of biomass CHP projects. In addition to the offerings
listed, check out the complete list of tools, services, and
benefits on the Partnership's Web site: www.epa.gov/chp.
Biomass CHP Catalog of Technologies. This report,
forthcoming on the Partnership's Web site, includes infor-
mation on cost and performance parameters of biomass-
fueled CHP systems, the commercial readiness of a range
of biomass fuel preparation techniques and heat and
power production methods, and characteristics of various
advanced technologies (e.g., status of research and devel-
opment, projected performance). Coming in fall 2007 at:
www.epa.gov/chp/basic/renewable.html.
Funding Opportunities. Many financial incentives, such
as grants, tax incentives, and low-interest loans, are avail-
able for using biomass feedstocks in power generation
applications. These incentives can substantially help the
economics of using biomass as a fuel source. In addition,
state and federal policies—such as simplified interconnec-
tion, fair rate design, and output-based emissions permit-
ting—benefit projects by reducing barriers and can save
time and money in the development process. Find regular-
ly updated information about these policies and incentives
along with information on how to qualify and apply:
www.epa.gov/chp/funding/bio.html.
The CHP Emissions Calculator compares the anticipat-
ed carbon dioxide (C02), sulfur dioxide (S02), and
nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions from a CHP system
to the emissions from a comparable system that uses
separate heat and power. Users select from default or
user-specified system profiles (including renewably fueled
systems) to describe the CHP and separate heat and
power systems for comparison:
www.epa.gov/chp/basic/calculator.html.
CHP Project Development Process. The Streamlining
Project Development pages of the Partnership Web site
provide resources for companies considering or imple-
menting CHP projects. These include information, tools,
and hints on project development, CHP technologies, and
how to access EPA assistance during each stage of
the CHP development process:
www. epa. gov/chp/project-development/index. html.
Wastewater Facilities Strategic Market. Wastewater
treatment facilities (WWTFs) that use anaerobic digesters
to treat their waste are an excellent technical fit for CHP.
The report, Opportunities and Benefits of Combined Heat
and Power at Wastewater Treatment Facilities, provides
engineering rules-of-thumb for estimating the generation
potential at a WWTF, and links to case studies demon-
strating the benefits of CHP at WWTFs:
www. epa. gov/chp/markets/wastewater. html.
Dry Mill Ethanol Strategic Market. The CHP
Partnership offers a wide range of analysis and outreach
documents related to the dry mill ethanol production
industry. The fact sheet, Combined Heat and Power: An
Energy-Efficient Choice for the Ethanol Industry, explains
the efficiency gains of CHP over separate heat and power,
discusses the excellent technical fit for CHP at ethanol
production facilities, and provides information on some
ethanol facilities currently employing CHP. The report,
Assessment of the Potential for Energy Savings in Dry Mill
Ethanol Plants From the Use of Combined Heat and
Power, details the energy savings from using CHP to gen-
erate electricity and steam for ethanol production com-
pared to using natural gas-, coal-, and biomass-fired boil-
ers to generate steam and purchase grid electricity. These
reports and more can be found at:
www. epa. gov/chp/markets/ethanol.html.
Technical Assistance for Candidate Sites. In addition
to Web-based resources, the Partnership provides infor-
mation, tools, and technical assistance to energy users
who are considering implementing CHP projects. With a
short phone call, the Partnership can help:
• Identify opportunities for cost-effective CHP (including
biomass or biogas CHP).
• Assess goals, drivers, and potential barriers for
a project.
• Direct energy users to existing tools and resources.
• Determine next steps for project-specific technical
assistance.
See: www. epa.gov/chp/partnership/tech_assistance. html.
For more information about opportunities for biomass CHP or how
the EPA CHP Partnership can help with your project, contact:
Felicia Ruiz
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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