What is "Cogeneration"?

Did you know that 10% of our nation's electricity now comes from "cogeneration" plants? 

And because cogeneration is so efficient, it saves its customers up to 40% on their energy expenses, and provides even greater savings to our environment through significant reductions in fuel usage and much lower greenhouse gas emissions. 

Cogeneration - also known as “combined heat and power” (CHP), cogen, district energy, total energy, and combined cycle, is the simultaneous production of heat (usually in the form of hot water and/or steam) and power, utilizing one primary fuel such as natural gas, or a renewable fuel, such as Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel, or Synthesis Gas. 

Cogeneration technology is not the latest industry buzz-word being touted as the solution to our nation's energy woes. Cogeneration is a proven technology that has been around for over 120 years! 

Our nation's first commercial power plant was a cogeneration plant that was designed and built by Thomas Edison in 1882 in New York. Our nation's first commercial power plant was called the "Pearl Street Station."


What is "Trigeneration"?

Trigeneration takes cogeneration one additional step. Trigeneration is defined as the simultaneous production of three forms of energy - typically, Cooling, Heating and Power - from only one fuel input. Put another way, our trigeneration energy systems produce three different types of energy for the price of one.  

Our Trigeneration energy systems overall system efficiencies have exceeded 85% efficiency.  

Typical "central" power plants that electric utility companies own and operate normally do not use the heat generated from the combustion and power generation process. Therefore, they are only about 30% to 35% efficient, wasting 65% to 70% of the available energy, that is simply wasted, and lost, with the heat going up their smokestacks.  

Here is a trigeneration diagram that better reflects the trigeneration process:

Trigeneration Diagram & Description
Trigeneration Power Plants' Have the Highest System Efficiencies and are 
About 300 % More Efficient than Typical Central Power Plants

Trigeneration plants are installed at locations that can benefit from all three forms of energy.  These types of installations that install trigeneration power plants are called "onsite power generation" also referred to as "decentralized energy."   

One of our company's principal's first experience with the design and development of a trigeneration power plant was the trigeneration power plant installation at Rice University in 1987 where our trigeneration development team started out by conducting a "cogeneration" feasibility study.  We installed a 4.0 MW Ruston gas turbine for the power plant.  Rice University selected an EPC company that installed the trigeneration power plant, along with waste heat recovery boilers and absorption chillers. A "waste heat recovery boiler" captures the heat from the exhaust of the gas turbine.  From there, the recovered energy was converted to chilled water - originally from (3) Hitachi Absorption Chillers - 2 were rated at 1,000 tons each, and the third Hitachi Absorption Chiller was rated at 1,500 tons. The Hitachi absorption chillers were replaced shortly after their installation by the EPC company.  The first trigeneration plant at Rice University was so successful, they added a second 5.0 MW trigeneration plant so today, Rice University is now generating about 9.0 MW of electricity, and also producing the cooling and heating the university needs from the trigeneration plant and circulating the trigeneration energy around its campus.

Trigeneration Chart
Trigeneration's "Super-Efficiency" compared 
with other competing technologies
As you can see, there is No Competition for Trigeneration!

How we make and distribute electricity is changing! The electric power transmission and distribution system (the electric "grid") is changing and evolving from the electric grid of the 19th and 20th centuries, which was inefficient, polluting, high-cost, and “dumb” which resembles:

…..To the electric grid of the 21st century (see slide below) that will be Decentralized, Smart, Efficient and provide “pollution free power” to customers who remain on the electric grid.  The electric grid of the future will be comprised of Onsite Power Generation plants fueled with Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel, Geothermal, Synthesis Gas, Wind & Solar power - located at Residential, Commercial, Industrial and City/Municipal Locations. Some customers will choose to dis-connect from the grid entirely. 

Typical "central" power plants and the electric utility companies that own them will either be shut-down, closed or go out of business due to one or more of the following:  failed business model, inordinate expenses related to central power plants that are inefficient, excessive pollution/emissions, high costs, and failure to provide efficient, carbon free energy and pollution free power that reduces our dependence on foreign oil and makes us Energy Independent while reducing and eliminating Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Our trigeneration power plants are the ideal onsite power and energy solution for customers that include:  Data Centers, Hospitals, Universities, Airports, Central Plants, Colleges & Universities, Dairies, Server Farms, District Heating & Cooling Plants, Food Processing Plants, Golf/Country Clubs, Government Buildings, Grocery Stores, Hotels, Manufacturing Plants, Nursing Homes, Office Buildings / Campuses, Radio Stations, Refrigerated Warehouses, Resorts, Restaurants, Schools, Server Farms, Shopping Centers, Supermarkets, Television Stations, Theatres and Military Bases.

We partner and collaborate with other forward thinking companies and communities that are interested in changing the outdated power and energy model of the past - inefficient and highly-polluting central power plants that average 33% efficiency - to a new paradigm and model for the future -  community-based cogeneration and trigeneration power plants at more than 90% efficiency - and therefore provides power and energy at lower prices while significantly reducing and even eliminating typical power plant emissions and greenhouse gas emissions.  

Call (832) 758 - 0027 for more information about community-based cogeneration and trigeneration power plants, or about making your community, hospital, university or other commercial facility a model for the future.

We presently contract the packaging of our new trigeneration power plants by a 3rd party/supplier but plan to build a new trigeneration manufacturing plant - near Houston, Texas where we will be able to significantly increase our trigeneration power plant production.

At about 86% to 93% net system efficiency, our trigeneration power plants are about 300% more efficient at providing energy than your current electric utility. That's because the typical electric utility's power plants are only about 33% efficient - they waste 2/3 of the fuel in generating electricity in the enormous amount of waste heat energy that they exhaust through their smokestacks.

Trigeneration is defined as the simultaneous production of three energies: cooling, heating and power.  Our trigeneration power plants use the same amount of fuel in producing three energies that would normally only produce just one type of energy. This means our customers that have our trigeneration power plants have significantly lower energy expenses, and a lower carbon footprint.

All of our trigeneration power plants produce 42 degree F. chilled water with with a 20 degree F. chilled waster option - while also generating hot water and/or steam and at least 200 kW of power. We can build trigeneration power plants up to 10 MW and with system efficiencies exceeding 85%.

Not sure what size trigeneration power plant to order or whether trigeneration is right for your business?

We can help!

Not sure what size trigeneration power plant to order or whether trigeneration is right for your business?

We can help as we offer three types of Trigeneration Feasibility Reviews & Studies!

Our Trigeneration Feasibility will help you make a decision whether one of our trigeneration power plants are right for your facility.

Trigeneration Feasibility Study and Analysis

Provides a solid basis for moving a potential renewable energy project forward.  The cost for this depends on the type, location, amount of time we require, and any additional requirements that may be included by the client. 

Generally, a trigeneration feasibility study a good option for clients considering trigeneration that need a trigeneration energy system that is over 1.0 MW and up to about 3.0 MW.

The time required to complete the study is about 90 to 120 days, on average. 

The final study we deliver is usually the basis for the customer to obtain a loan, power purchase agreement, energy services agreement or placing an order with us.

To start a Trigeneration Preliminary Study and Analysis, we require a 50% cash payment of the study cost plus a refundable deposit for our reimbursable expenses.

Trigeneration Detailed Concept, Engineering and Design Analysis

The detailed engineering design is a good option for clients that would need a trigeneration energy system with an estimated trigeneration energy system over 3.0 MW and above. In a detailed engineering design, the trigeneration energy system is conceived, designed and engineered as a custom fit and optimized energy solution for your specific facility. 

Final result is usually ready for a company to start construction. A detailed engineering design can take from 4 months to 6 months to complete. 

To start a detailed trigeneration engineering design, we require a 50% cash payment of the total fee plus a refundable deposit for our reimbursable expenses.

Our trigeneration feasibility studies and engineering design are led by our licensed engineers.  Our goal is to help you determine whether your renewable energy is viable, identify the merits of your proposed renewable energy project, identify weak points, provide our recommended course of action, as well as our recommendations for products and equipment that need further review or consideration.  Our Feasibility Studies are an excellent "foundation" for building your next renewable energy project.

If you order your new trigeneration power plant from us within 30 days of the date of delivery of our Trigeneration Feasibility Review or Study, we will reduce the cost of your new trigeneration power plant by half the cost of the study and apply the fee to the purchase.

Trigeneration is a technology whose time as come! Particularly for commercial clients who want to decrease their energy expenses and carbon footprint, while increasing energy efficiency and profits. This is possible as our trigeneration power plants surpass 85% net system efficiency. 

This is possible through our trigeneration power plants that surpass 85% system efficiency for our clients that need cooling, heating and power - which covers about 99% of all commercial buildings and companies.

While most new trigeneration power plants are capable of being fueled with clean natural gas, we are dedicated to ending the use of fossil fuels by providing renewable energy and renewable fuels such as B100 Biodiesel or Biomethane.  Simultaneously, we are focused on reducing and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions.

In association with the Renewable Energy Institute, affiliate companies and investors, we provide "turnkey" trigeneration power plant development services that range from initial Engineering Feasibility & Economic Analysis Studies through project installation, start-up and commissioning, Operations & Maintenance, and Long Term Service Agreements for the lifetime of our systems.

Trigeneration Technologies' trigeneration power plants' net system's efficiencies surpass any potential competitor.  We guarantee our standard trigeneration power plants will exceed 90% net system efficiency. 

Our trigeneration plants can use renewable fuels such as Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel or Dimethyl Ether, instead of fossil fuels to run them. We also offer an optional selective catalytic reduction technology that takes NOx down to "non-detect" without the use of ammonia or urea on our new trigeneration plants.

Our range of services (some provided by affiliate companies or manufacturing suppliers) include:

• Design/engineering, Engineering Feasibility and Economic Analysis Studies

• Legal

• Energy Service Agreements

• Power Purchase Agreements

• Build

• Finance

• Own

• Operate

• Maintain

• Long Term Service Agreements

Our renewable energy projects generate Renewable Energy Credit or Certified Emission Reduction credits, which provide an additional income stream from our projects.

"The Trigeneration Experts" - the ONLY Company that Builds Integrated Trigeneration Plants on a Single Skid with Effective System Efficiencies that Exceed 90%.  Our Optional SCR System Reduces Nitrogen Oxides To "Non-Detect" Without Ammonia or Urea

Our small footprint Trigeneration Plants measurements are: 15' wide by 15' in height by and 55' in length

We Can Design, Build, and Install Your New Trigeneration Power Plant and have it online in less than 130 - 150 days!

Our "Turnkey" Integrated Trigeneration Energy Systems are Available from 100 kW to over 10 MW with system efficiencies > 90% While Providing Practically-free Heating (and Cooling with Trigeneration) and generating power for commercial and industrial customers for as low as 4 cents/kW!  We are the only company that builds, fabricates, packages (on a single skid) and "integrates" Trigeneration power plants.

The standard cogeneration and trigeneration energy system packages we offer include the following packaged units, that come standard on a single skid, approximately 8' wide, x 20' length, in a cabinet that is sound attenuated and will meet or exceed SCAQMD and Houston/Galveston emissions regulations:

                        100 kW          150 kW          250 kW          500 kW

                         1.0 MW          2.0 MW         3.0 MW          3.5 MW

Our standard cogeneration and trigeneration energy systems can be mixed and matched so as to provide practically any size energy system needed. A recent 900 kW cogeneration system's system efficiency exceeded 90% net system efficiency. 

We are committed to excellence and exceeding our customers goals and objectives, and will NOT use equipment from the following manufacturers: 

Capstone microturbines
Daewoo engines
GE Power
Guascor
Jenbacher
Kawasaki turbines 

in ANY of our cogeneration or trigeneration power plants. We can package any combination of standard size plants to come up with your optimum size system. 

Our company, and our company's manufacturers and packagers only use "industrial" engines that are made in the U.S.A.

Our standard and customized cogeneration and trigeneration energy systems use the leading brands of reciprocating engines or turbines and include our proprietary Waste Heat Recovery technologies that help us achieve system efficiencies greater than 90% and effective heat rates as low as 4050 btu's/kW.  We provide both standard and customized cogeneration and trigeneration energy systems that meet our customer's most stringent economic and environmental requirements.

Our cogeneration and trigeneration energy systems can run on renewable fuels for even greater environmental and economic savings! These fuels or energy sources include: Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel, Dimethyl-Ether, Synthesis Gas and natural gas. Net system efficiencies of our trigeneration power plants are now exceeding 90% with up to 95% lower emissions when using Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel, Dimethyl-Ether or Synthesis Gas as the fuel for Trigeneration power plants.

For pricing and delivery information on our Cogeneration or Trigeneration power plants, call (832) 758 - 0027 or send an email with your project's requirements to:  info@trigeneration.com

Read more about our Trigeneration Power Plants on our Specifications page.

Our New "Integrated" Trigeneration Plants Have 
Very High Efficiencies & Low Fuel Costs

The Effective Heat Rate is Approximately 
4050 btu/kW & System Efficiency is 92%

Pictures of a Cogeneration Energy System Built for New Industrial Customer.  This Cogeneration Plant is Rated at 900 kW and Features (2) Natural Gas Engines @ 450 kW each on one Skid.

Our onsite cogeneration and trigeneration energy systems are an ideal solution for customers wanting increased power reliability and decreased energy and environmental costs.  A few of the types of buildings and businesses that would benefit from an onsite trigeneration plant include the following:

Airports

Casinos

Central Plants

Colleges & Universities

Dairies

Data Centers & Server Farms 

District Heating & Cooling plants

Food Processing Plants

Golf/Country Clubs

Government Buildings and Facilities 

Grocery Stores

Hospitals 

Hotels

Manufacturing Plants

Military Bases

Nursing Homes 

Office Buildings / Campuses

Radio Stations

Refrigerated Warehouses 

Resorts 

Restaurants 

Schools

Server Farms

Shopping centers 

Supermarkets 

Television Stations

Theatres

For pricing and delivery information on our Cogeneration or Trigeneration power plants, call (832) 758 - 0027 or send an email with your goals, objectives and requirements to:  info@trigeneration.com

We would be interested in meeting with potential joint venture partners who are as committed and passionate as we are about making a difference in the world by assisting us with the capital we need to begin mass-producing our 90% efficient trigeneration power plants which will soon be located on the roof (or next to the building) of every commercial business - such as restaurants, office buildings, supermarkets/grocery stores, hospitals, casinos, universities, dairies, data centers and server farms.

Equity positions now available for qualified joint venture partners in multiple trigeneration projects we are seeking to develop with leading Fortune 1000 companies.  Our joint venture equity partners will assist us with manufacturing our cogeneration or trigeneration plants and start installing them on the roof-tops or next to our customer's facilities - pending orders from hospitals and restaurants who have agreed to purchase all of our energy generated from our trigeneration plants through our Energy Services Agreement (similar to a Power Purchase Agreement except in the case of an Energy Services Agreement, we also sell the hot water/steam and chilled water, in addition to the electricity our trigeneration plants generate).

Our trigeneration plants will;

* forever change the way that energy is generated and used.

* will be fueled with "green fuels" such as; Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel, Synthesis Gas (generated from biomass feedstock and "converted" through Biomass Gasification plants), Dimethyl Ether or Solar Energy.

* eliminate or greatly reduce our customer's electric demand charges.

* significantly increase the amount of renewable energy used in the U.S. and around the world when renewable fuels such as Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel, Synthesis Gas or Dimethyl Ether

* stop/reverse climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions.

* reduce and eventually eliminate the use of "fossil fuels."

* reduce the need for inefficient and expensive central power plants owned by utility companies. 

* promote energy independence.

* end America's dependence on oil from OPEC and other countries in the Middle-East, Venezuela and end our need for importing natural gas from Russia.

Prospective joint venture partners are invited to send an introductory email regarding your interests in renewable energy along with your financial abilities and expectations to:  info@Trigeneration.com

More information and background on cogeneration

Primary fuels commonly used in cogeneration include natural gas, oil, diesel fuel, propane, coal, wood, wood-waste and bio-mass. These "primary" fuels are used to make electricity, a "secondary" fuel. This is why electricity, when compared on a btu to btu basis, is typically 3-4 times more expensive than primary fuels such as natural gas.

An example of a cogeneration process would be the automobile in which the primary fuel (gasoline) is burned in an internal combustion engine - this produces both mechanical and electrical energy (cogeneration). These combined energies, derived from the combustion process of the car's engine, operate the various systems of the automobile, including the drive-train or transmission (mechanical power), lights (electrical power), air conditioning (mechanical and electrical power), and heating of the car's interior when heat is required to keep the car's occupants warm. This heat, which is manufactured by the engine during the combustion process, was “captured” from the engine and then re-directed to the passenger compartment.

Due to competitive pressures to cut costs and reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gasses, owners and operators of industrial and commercial facilities are actively looking for ways to use energy more efficiently. One option is cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power (CHP). Cogeneration/CHP is the simultaneous production of electricity and useful heat from the same fuel or energy. Facilities with cogeneration systems use them to produce their own electricity, and use the unused excess (waste) heat for process steam, hot water heating, space heating, and other thermal needs. They may also use excess process heat to produce steam for electricity production. Cogeneration currently coexists with a regulated industry that is going through major structural changes that may limit or expand its application.

Cogeneration and

The concept of cogeneration is not new, as we discussed previously. Early in this century, before there was an extensive network of power lines, many industries had cogeneration plants. As utilities became established and grew, most states began to regulate them in order to limit their pricing power. The Public Utilities Holding Act of 1935 (PUHCA), together with amendments to the Federal Power Act (also in 1935), were the final steps in protecting utility companies from competition. These laws created vertically integrated utilities with responsibility for the production, transmission, and distribution of power. In exchange for their exclusive franchises (territories) and guaranteed revenues, utilities agreed to government regulation of rates and service. Under these rules, more investments in infrastructure and more sales meant more profits. As the network of power lines grew and electricity from utilities became more economical, industrial facilities bought more of their electricity from utilities. However, many industries still had to generate process heat on-site. The economies of scale that the utilities were able to obtain at that time, as well as the availability of low-priced process heat from cheap oil and gas, removed incentives to retain cogeneration equipment.

In the past three decades, however, the long-term trend of energy prices generally moved upward. Building more and more large power plants no longer provided economies of scale. This was a major factor in the increasing use of cogeneration by commercial and industrial facilities.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) provided further encouragement for developers of cogeneration plants. Section 210 required utilities to purchase excess electricity generated by "qualified facilities" (QFs) and to provide backup power at a reasonable cost. QFs included plants that used renewable resources and/or cogeneration technologies to produce electricity. PURPA cogenerators must use at least 5% of their thermal output for process or space heating (10% for facilities that burn oil or natural gas). In many cases, this forced independent cogenerators to accept very low rates for their steam production in order to become a qualified facility under PURPA. Another problem is the rate at which utilities purchase a cogenerator’s excess power production. 


Most states set the price at "avoided cost," or the cost to the utility of producing that extra power. Utilities with excess power generation capacity are often allowed to have extremely low avoided costs. This practice has created artificial barriers to cogeneration as well as to independent power generators.

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) tried to create a more competitive marketplace for electricity generation. It created a new class of power generators known as Exempt Wholesale Generators (EWGs). These are exempt from PUHCA regulation and can sell power competitively to wholesale customers. A cogeneration facility can be (but does not have to be) a QF under PURPA and an EWG under EPAct. This happens when the facility is in the exclusive business of wholesale power sales, and makes no retail power sales to its "steam host" (customer).

Cogeneration Technology

A typical cogeneration system consists of an engine, steam turbine, or combustion turbine that drives an electrical generator. A waste heat exchanger recovers waste heat from the engine and/or exhaust gas to produce hot water or steam. Cogeneration produces a given amount of electric power and process heat with 10% to 30% less fuel than it takes to produce the electricity and process heat separately.

There are two main types of cogeneration concepts: "Topping Cycle" plants, and "Bottoming Cycle" plants. A topping cycle plant generates electricity or mechanical power first. Facilities that generate electrical power may produce the electricity for their own use, and then sell any excess power to a utility. There are four types of topping cycle cogeneration systems. The first type burns fuel in a gas turbine or diesel engine to produce electrical or mechanical power. The exhaust provides process heat, or goes to a heat recovery boiler to create steam to drive a secondary steam turbine. This is a combined-cycle topping system. The second type of system burns fuel (any type) to produce high-pressure steam that then passes through a steam turbine to produce power. The exhaust provides low-pressure process steam. This is a steam-turbine topping system. A third type burns a fuel such as natural gas, diesel, wood, gasified coal, or landfill gas. The hot water from the engine jacket cooling system flows to a heat recovery boiler, where it is converted to process steam and hot water for space heating. The fourth type is a gas-turbine topping system. A natural gas turbine drives a generator. The exhaust gas goes to a heat recovery boiler that makes process steam and process heat. A topping cycle cogeneration plant always uses some additional fuel, beyond what is needed for manufacturing, so there is an operating cost associated with the power production.

Bottoming cycle plants are much less common than topping cycle plants. These plants exist in heavy industries such as glass or metals manufacturing where very high temperature furnaces are used. A waste heat recovery boiler recaptures waste heat from a manufacturing heating process. This waste heat is then used to produce steam that drives a steam turbine to produce electricity. Since fuel is burned first in the production process, no extra fuel is required to produce electricity.

An emerging technology that has cogeneration possibilities is the fuel cell. A fuel cell is a device that converts hydrogen to electricity without combustion. Heat is also produced. Most fuel cells use natural gas (composed mainly of methane) as the source of hydrogen. The first commercial availability of fuel cell technology was the phosphoric acid fuel cell, which has been on the market for a few years. There are about 50 installed and operating in the United States. Other fuel cell technologies (molten carbonate and solid oxide) are in early stages of development. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) may be potential source for cogeneration, due to the high temperature heat generated by their operation.

Cogeneration Applications

Cogeneration systems have been designed and built for many different applications. Large-scale systems can be built on-site at a plant, or off-site. Off-site plants need to be close enough to a steam customer (or municipal steam loop) to cover the cost of a steam pipeline. Industrial or commercial facility owners can operate the plants, or a utility or a non-utility generator (NUG) may own and operate them. Manufacturers use 90% of all cogeneration systems. Some industries and waste incinerator operators who own their own equipment realize sizable profits with cogeneration.

Another large-scale application of cogeneration is for district heating and cooling. Many colleges, hospitals, office buildings and even cities, that have extensive district heating and cooling systems, have at their core, a cogeneration or trigeneration power plant. The University of Florida has a 42 Megawatt (MW) gas turbine cogeneration plant, built in partnership with the Florida Power Corporation. Some large cogeneration facilities were built primarily to produce power. They produce only enough steam to meet the requirements for qualified facilities under PURPA. If no steam host is nearby, one can be built. For example, there are large (80 MW) plants operating under PURPA that have large greenhouses as "steam hosts." The greenhouses operate without losing money only because their steam heat is virtually free of charge. These types of plants are candidates to become EWGs in the new regulatory environment.

Many utilities have formed subsidiaries to own and operate cogeneration plants. These subsidiaries are successful due to the operation and maintenance experience that the utilities bring to them. They also usually have a long-term sales contract lined up before the plant is built. One example is a 300 MW plant that is owned and operated by a subsidiary co-owned by a utility and an oil company. The utility feeds the power directly into its grid. The oil company uses the steam to increase production from its nearby oil wells. 


Cogeneration systems are also available to small-scale users of electricity. Small-scale packaged or "modular" systems are being manufactured for commercial and light industrial applications. Modular cogeneration systems are compact, and can be manufactured economically. These systems, ranging in size from 20 kilowatts (kW) to 650 kW produce electricity and hot water from engine waste heat. It is usually best to size the systems to meet the hot water needs of a building. Thus, the best applications are for buildings such as hospitals or restaurants that have a year-round need for hot water or steam. They can be operated continuously or only during peak load hours to reduce peak demand charges, although continuous operation usually has the quickest payback period.

Several companies also attempted to develop systems that burn natural gas and fuel oil for private residences. These home-sized cogeneration packages had a capacity of up to 10 kW, and were capable of providing most of the heating and electrical needs for a home. As of May 2000, none of the companies that developed these systems are selling these units. Several fuel call manufacturers are targeting residential and small commercial applications.

Environmental Issues

While cogeneration provides several environmental benefits by making use of waste heat and waste products, air pollution is a concern any time fossil fuels or biomass are burned. The major regulated pollutants include particulates, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrous oxides (NOx). Water quality, while a lesser concern, can also be a problem. New cogeneration plants are subject to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit process designed to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Many states have stricter regulations than the EPA. This can add significantly to the initial cost of some cogeneration facilities located in urban areas.

Some cogeneration systems, such as diesel engines, do not capture as much waste heat as other systems. Others may not be able to use all the thermal energy that they produce because of their location. They are therefore less efficient, and the corresponding environmental benefits are less than they could be. The environmental impacts of air and water pollution and waste disposal are very site-specific for cogeneration. This is a problem for some cogeneration plants because the special equipment (water treatment, air scrubbers, etc.) required to meet environmental regulations adds to the cost of the project. If, on the other hand, pollution control equipment is required for the primary industrial or commercial process anyway, cogeneration can be economically attractive.

Even the environmental groups are on the cogeneration bandwagon. Since its' founding, the Sierra Club has supported total energy (cogeneration). See the Sierra Club's statement on energy policy. 

Cogeneration and Future Market Development

Several factors will affect the growth of cogeneration activities. They include the initial cost of buying and bringing a cogeneration system on-line, maintenance costs, and environmental control requirements. Some electric utilities do not need additional electricity. They may have excess generation capacity or a stable customer base. This leads to lower "avoided cost" rates, which reduces the viability of cogeneration projects that rely heavily on power sales to utilities.

The restructuring of the electric power generation and distribution industry that is currently underway in many states, makes it more attractive for developers to become independent power producers and to build "electricity only" power plants, instead of cogeneration plants. There has also been a great deal of pressure from utility and industrial special interests to repeal or amend PURPA.  If they are successful, it could be difficult for new cogeneration projects to get off the ground. Barring that development, improved technology and cooperation among industries, businesses, utilities, and financiers should provide impetus to the continued development of both cogeneration projects and independent power production projects.

One significant impetus for cogeneration is the issue of global climate change from global warming caused by the greenhouse effect, of which fossil fuel combustion is a major contributor. 

Cogeneration is the environmentally-friendly, economically-sensible way to produce power, simultaneously saving significant amounts of money and also dramatically reducing total greenhouse gas emissions.

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EPA Moves Closer To Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions