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Microcogeneration facilities. Analysis, components of an installation, videos and legislation.
Definition and application of microcogeneration:
They are small power equipment of up to 50 kW that are easily installed and without necessarily requiring a large investment, fundamentally applicable to industrial buildings, tertiary as well as residential use. It is a technology called distributed generation which is also characterized by allowing the production of electrical and thermal energy with high savings in primary energy consumption, since electrical energy losses from electricity transmission and distribution are reduced.
Microcogeneration equipment is modules that allow the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat for heating and DHW from the primary energy of a fuelIt is about highly energy efficient equipment that consists of an electricity generating system with the additional capacity to take advantage of the residual heat of the process to generate thermal energy. Microcogeneration is based on three types of technologies: internal combustion engines, Stirling-type external combustion engines and microturbines.
They are configured as an effective alternative to improve the energy efficiency of both buildings and individually considered homes, since they constitute a technical option that is easy to implement, economically viable and very efficient, especially in centralized DHW and heating installations.
Most outstanding advantages of microcogeneration facilities:
- It is a system that is currently manufactured in a compact format similar to that of a conventional boiler, which is capable of simultaneously generating electrical energy and thermal energy, without requiring much space for installation.
- At present for the microcogeneration Both fossil fuels (natural gas, butane, propane, etc …) are used as well as other fuels such as biodiesel, which have low gas emissions in their combustion and due to their ease of production from vegetable products; Although systems that use renewable energies such as biomass and solar energy are being investigated.
- Although its price is higher than that of a conventional equipment or boiler, it pays for itself in less time due to the fact that it achieves greater energy savings by significantly reducing the consumption of primary energy (can reach up to 40%) and CO2 emissions and also the maintenance and operating costs are lower.
- High level of energy efficiency, with very high yields of the order of 85-90%, being the equipment that comes closest to achieving the theoretical Carnot cycle.
- The cost of the initial investment is reduced when it comes to installations in buildings that exceed a number of homes in centralized systems, when compared with other equipment or similar installations.
- It allows automatic regulation so that it will start and stop depending on the energy needs that the building needs at all times, so that its performance is linked to the demands, being able to say that the higher the demand required, the higher the performance and the greater energy efficiency, these Systems will work with better results in areas with colder climates, especially when compared to other solar energy systems, which in these types of climates greatly reduce their performance.
- They are highly reliable equipment that works silently due to the simple and straightforward nature of its mechanics, which also contributes to reducing the risk of breakdowns as well as oil consumption and reducing friction losses inside.
The following image shows the components of a microcogeneration installation:
Some criteria to consider when designing the installation.
The basic criteria to take into account when designing a microcogeneration facility are the number of hours of operation, together with the user's thermal demand, emissions and operating costs. It should be considered that the longer the operating time of the equipment, the initial investment will be recovered sooner as a result of the greater amount of energy produced, so its economic profitability increases, requiring a high thermal demand to be profitable.
When choosing these systems, it is convenient to carry out an adequate design, calculation and dimensioning of the installation with precision in order to achieve the best performance of it in the best possible operating conditions.
Explanatory videos of its operation:
This IDAE video explains what cogeneration consists of, its advantages, and mentions an application case in a building with 97 homes in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid):
This second video explains in more detail how the ecoPOWER brand microcogeneration boiler model works:
Enforcement ordinance:
The applicable legislation at the Spanish and European level on microcogeneration is as follows:
- Directive 2004/8 / CE, on the promotion of cogeneration based on the demand for useful heat.
- RD 616/2007 of May 11, on the promotion of high-efficiency cogeneration.
- RD 661/2007 of May 25, which regulates the activity of electricity production under the special regime and replaces Royal Decree 436/2004 of March 12.
