What is combined heat and power, CHP?
Thermal power plants producing only electricity operate at a thermal efficiency of about 30% with the remainder rejected as heat into the atmosphere. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) utilizes both the heat and the power, significantly boosting plant efficiency and reducing air emissions. District energy systems can use CHP – also called cogeneration – as a low-cost source of thermal energy. How Might a District Energy System work in Brattleboro? The basic district energy system proposed for Brattleboro would distribute heat produced in a biomass-fueled CHP plant. The plant would sell renewable power to the electrical grid and deliver hot water to industries, businesses, and households through an underground piping network. The plant would primarily utilize clean wood residues from sawmill opperations, in-town tree trimming, and sustainably managed forests. Additional wood fuel could be provided by short rotation energy crops grown by local farmers. The initial plant would produce about 5
