Stone, A; (2008) Are we entering the trigeneration? The feasibility of combined cooling, heating and power in the United Kingdom. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Trigeneration or combined cooling, heating and power, is the decentralised generation of electricity for use in one or more sites. The waste heat from this process is used to heat buildings, generate domestic hot water or provide cooling via an absorption chiller. This document assesses the feasibility of Trigeneration in the UK, in terms of the ability for delivery of heating, cooling and electrical energy in an efficient and cost effective manner the issues surrounding its design and installation and ultimately whether it can make a significant reduction in carbon emissions in the United Kingdom. Calculation results show the carbon emissions associated with generating electricity, heating and cooling energy in a Trigeneration facility can be as much as 34% less, than those emitted from conventional boiler and chiller plant installations and that a payback period of 6 years is possible. The study shows that to maximise financial and environmental potential: the heat to power ratio of CCHP must be low, preferably 1:1 the heating to cooling output ratio should ideally be 3:1 or greater and heat utilisation should exceed 90%. If 50% of UK electricity could be delivered from highly efficient CCHP installations, carbon emission savings for delivered UK gas and electrical energy of up to 10.5% could be realised. Trigeneration is feasible for mass implementation within the UK and we are likely to see an increase in the number of Trigeneration facilities because of local government decentralised energy targets and the relatively onerous carbon emissions target of the Building Regulations. Despite the clear benefits of CCHP, it is difficult to predict whether we will move our energy needs towards a Trigeneration solution. There are many hindrances to its introduction including the high installation cost, disturbance associated with installing CCHP facilities and heating and cooling networks and whether consumers would be willing to abandon their own boilers and chillers and connect to local networks. An alternative solution to reduce UK carbon emissions attributed to delivered energy, with fewer disturbances to the utilities networks, is to replace the 66 existing inefficient fossil fuelled power stations, with modern efficient combined cycle gas turbine power stations. As aging boiler and chiller plant is refurbished, it should also be replaced with modern highly efficient conventional equivalents. The long term result of this would be a 6% greater carbon emission reduction, than is envisaged possible with mass implementation of Trigeneration. For this reason, this study shows widespread installation of CCHP is not the best means currently available to lower carbon emissions attributed to energy generation and assist in meeting the UK's 2050 target to reduce emissions by 60%. Trigeneration is, however, a beneficial and feasible short term alternative to reduce the UK's impact on Global Warming.

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