Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units produce heat and power at the same time. The units normally burn gas, bio-gas or bio fuels and traditionally they are used in industrial set-ups for small scale district heating. The UK based manufacturer Baxi has recently launched a CHP appliance for the home.
The appliance’s Free Piston Stirling Engine (FPSE) generates up to 1kWh of electricity whilst providing abundant supplies of space heating and hot water for the home. The unit responds to an initial heat demand up to 6kW by igniting the engine gas burner. The heat causes the gas inside the FPSE to expand, moving a piston up and down between a copper coil. As a result, electricity is generated in a similar way to an alternator in a car.
If the heat demand moves above 6kW, Baxi Ecogen’s supplementary burner fires up to offer an additional 18kW of heat. As the heat demand in the home falls, the appliance’s controls can modulate operation down to 3kW, while still generating electricity to provide maximum energy efficiency.
Extensive field trials in over 400 UK homes have shown that Baxi Ecogen units can reliably satisfy up to two thirds of a typical household’s electrical requirements. For all electricity generated, the householder will receive 10pkWh, using the recently announced Government Feed-In Tariffs (FIT) scheme, effective from April 2010. Any unused electricity can be exported back to the grid for which the householder will receive a further 3pkWh.
Baxi Group has designed the appliance to be a similar size to a conventional wall-hung domestic boiler. The unit is suitable for use on open vented and sealed systems making it ideal for straightforward specification and installation within a wide variety of new-build and replacement projects.
Dedicated intelligent Baxi controls can be incorporated into the system to enhance comfort, increase energy efficiency even further and ensure the unit is suitable for a broad range of property types and sizes. These controls are removable and feature a programmable room thermostat. Cylinder and outdoor temperature sensor kits are also available as optional accessories to enable close monitoring of room, hot water and outdoor temperatures.
For more information please visit www.baxiecogen.com