A New Perspective on Energy

Integrated systems for cooling heating and power (CHP) for buildings incorporate multiple technologies for providing energy services to a single building or to a campus of buildings. Electricity to such buildings is provided by on-site or near-site power generators using one or more of the many options: internal combustion (IC) engines, combustion turbines, mini- or micro-turbines, and fuel cells. In CHP systems, waste heat from power generation equipment is recovered for operating equipment for cooling, heating, or controlling humidity in buildings, by using absorption chillers, desiccant dehumidifiers, or heat recovery equipment for producing steam or hot water. These integrated systems are known by a variety of acronyms: CHP (Cooling, Heating and Power), CCHP (Combined Cooling Heating and Power), BCHP (Buildings Cooling, Heating and Power), and IES (Integrated Energy Systems).

CHP systems provide many benefits, including:

• Reduced energy costs
• Improved power reliability
• Increased energy efficiency
• Improved environmental quality.

These systems can be located at or near the building site and maximize efficiency of energy resources by utilizing thermal energy, generally wasted, from power generation equipment for cooling, heating, and/or controlling humidity in buildings.

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The Northeast CHP Application Center was established in October 2003 for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) and Pace University (Pace). The Center is a partnership between UMass, Pace, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), MA Division of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Maine State Energy Office (MEPUC). Its mission is to provide application assistance, technology information, and educational support in the seven Northeast states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The objective of this site is to provide you with information on CHP for commercial/industrial facilities to support your decisions relating to these systems. Information on the site has been organized to address anticipated needs of various user groups. Click on a link (above or on the right) of your choice to learn about some of the basics, benefits, success stories, and much more about CHP.

As you move through the site, your current location will be identified by "bread crumbs" within the gray bar along the top of all pages. Available sub-topics will appear in the list of links in the sidebar on the right.

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