Digital Commons Network^™

Factors That Impact The Co2 Mitigation Potential Of Cogeneration, Carl Bozzuto

CO2 Summit II: Technologies and Opportunities

Cogeneration systems that produce both heat and power are being promoted as a means of improving the overall energy efficiency around the world, especially in the industrial and power sectors. Claims are often made regarding dramatic improvements in efficiency for such systems. For example, a cogeneration system is advertised as being 85% efficient, while, for example, the U.S. grid is only 31% efficient. However, comparing such efficiency figures directly can be misleading. An 85% efficient cogeneration system is being evaluated at full load and on a first law of thermodynamics basis (i.e., input = output at steady state). The average …