Commercial CHP within offices and buildings can reduce costs

Commercial Building CHP

With Combined Heat and Power (CHP), commercial building operators can reduce running costs and greenhouse gas emissions while keeping occupants comfortable and happy.

Most of the costs associated with running a commercial building are fixed. Energy is one of the few overhead’s operators can exercise a degree of control over in new and existing office buildings. Reducing energy consumption will not only help save money and improve energy sustainability, but it can also improve working conditions and, therefore, boost productivity.

Cost savings on power, heating and cooling

Reduced carbon emissions compared to conventional power production and onsite boilers

Payback within 2-5 years

Greater operational resilience and security of power supply

High electrical and thermal efficiency of up to 90%

Cost savings can be reinvested and deployed in renewable energy technologies

Fuel flexibility - renewable, low carbon, and hydrogen ready

Recognised technology within the net-zero pathway

Office buildings

Airports

Retail developments

Combined residential and commercial developments

District energy schemes

Energy Efficiency in Buildings

CHP and Combined Cooling, Heat and Power (CCHP) systems can be used anywhere that there is a demand for heat or cooling along with electricity. For businesses, effective heating and cooling is essential for creating happy and productive workplaces.

But optimising temperature control comes at a price. According to the Carbon Trust, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are the most energy intensive processes in an office environment. Heating alone accounts about one-third of a typical office’s energy consumption.

Cogeneration, or CHP can dramatically reduce energy consumption and provide 'free' heat. This high efficiency method of onsite energy production captures the heat produced as a by-product during power generation and recycles it to heat spaces and provide hot water.

Reducing Costs in Commercial Buildings with CHP

For commercial building operators, the key advantage of an on-site CHP generator is that it will typically generate electricity at a cheaper rate than you can procure it from the grid.

The positive 'spark spread' of low carbon natural gas is increasing the financial benefits of CHP. 'Spark spread' is the differential between the price of energy and the cost of fuel used to generate that energy. Whilst wholesale gas prices have soared, so too have electricity prices because of their dependency on gas to produce power. As such, the spark spread favours a strong economic case for using on-site CHP.

The economic viability of CHP is demonstrated by the short payback time on installing a CHP engine. In some cases, it is as low as two or three years, providing a key opportunity for savings on systems with a typical lifespan of 15 years.

Due to its exceptional efficiency a low carbon natural gas CHP system can complement other low and zero carbon measures to help organisations work towards their net-zero ambitions.

The bespoke energy management programme has also passed £850,000 in annual energy savings from measures taken across the estate. Through this investment, MediaCityUK has avoided the production of 1,722 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent [CO₂e] this year alone.

Derek Elliot, Head of Technical Services at MediaCityUK