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Additional benefits of cogeneration in planning a
secure energy supply for Europe
Cogeneration is one of the growing group of distributed
generation technologies which supply
electricity or heat at the site where it is used. This concept
reduces grid losses and focuses
on demand rather than supply, moving away from central sources
of electricity supply to local
sources and from favouring large capacities to favouring varying
capacity sizes,
characteristics, and fuels which best match the end use
requirement and local availability.
Distributed energy means multiple sources of power and heat,
capable of operating both with
and independently of the grid. Diversity in fuel tends to follow
The multiplicity of supply points offers both a challenge and a
new opportunity to the current
architecture of the grid. Multiple sources lead to decentralised
architectures which provide
additional opportunities for flexibility within the network.
The local manageable scale of distributed CHP also assists fast
deployment and creates
realistic time frames for action. CHP installations can often
fit within existing boiler houses or
industrial premises, making limited demands on site acquisition
and planning processes. The
technology is readily available and understood with a complete
supply and service network.
With these characteristics cogeneration energy efficiency is one
of the few technologies
which can have a real impact in the 2009-2020 time frame.
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