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Combined heat and power units

Combined heat and power units
The basic principle behind combined heat and power units, is that energy generation generally creates heat, and in large scale power stations this heat is usually wasted. For example, most large power stations in the UK are fitted with huge cooling towers, to allow the excess heat to escape into the air. But what if this waste heat could be utilised? It cannot be transported to households easily, so instead, combined heat and power units generate the electricity within the household itself, and all excess heat that is a by product is used to for heating and hot water etc.
There are many types of fuels and sources of heat that may be considered for micro-combined heat and power units. The properties of these sources vary in terms of cost, heat cost, environmental effects, convenience, ease of transportation and storage, system maintenance, and system life.
Some of the heat sources and fuels being considered for use with micro-combined heat and power units include: biomass, woodgas, solar thermal, and natural gas, as well as multi-fuel systems. The energy sources with the lowest emissions of particulates and net-carbon dioxide, include solar power, biomass (with two-stage gasification), and natural gas.
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Combined heat and power units
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