Does your company use electricity? Did you know that you could be saving lots of money by harnessing wasted energy byproducts? If you?ve never heard of Co-Generation or are just a bit unsure of what it is, listen up. You shouldn?t only read this article for the valuable information herein, but also because it could save your company a lot of cash and possibly even open up new opportunities for revenue.
Because of the swiftly advancing technologies related to Co-Generation, and the valuable resource that it is (especially for business owners), we are offering a quick, easy guide in layman?s terms to help you understand the potential for small-scale cogeneration, how it works and why you might want to consider applying it to your own business as the technology creates opportunities for smaller companies to benefit.
After reading through this article, perhaps you will be better prepared and a little wiser for the wear. Then, at the end of the article, we?ll make sure you can take advantage of cogeneration opportunities for your business electricity right away, and learn more about it as it applies to you and your company.
Co-Generation
When energy is produced and used, excess heat is generated and usually just wasted into the air. In the simplest terms, Co-Generation is a way of harnessing the otherwise wasted heat. Instead of simply expending the heat through smokestacks or vents, the heat is captured and used for other purposes.
The Benefits of Harnessing Your Heat
Now you know that Cogeneration can help you retain wasted heat. So why is this beneficial? There are actually quite a few applications for your harnessed heat. Usually, the uses for your captured heat will vary depending on a few factors.
These factors include:
1) The size of your facility
2) The amount of energy being used and heat being captured
3) The type of operations at your facility (manufacturing, office work, warehousing)
These factors will usually determine how your heat is used. But it simply boils down to a few common applications that best fit your particular business. For example, a small office building might use their excess heat to warm the offices in winter rather than running the furnace. A medium-sized hospital might use it to heat their water. Even on the smallest scales, the ability to produce heat for common uses like warming the building or hot water means more savings as these functions are no longer relying on the company?s primary electricity source. They are essentially ?free?.
All About the Applications
Now that you have a basic understanding of how cogeneration can benefit an average business, you might be wondering how extensive these applications can really be. Remember, it all depends on your particular business, your operations, your facility and your energy consumption. So it is important to recognize the myriad possibilities available with Cogeneration.
On a larger scale, cogeneration can actually generate more electricity. By using cogeneration to produce steam, some facilities are able to generate supplemental energy through steam turbines. When used in this manner, cogeneration can really start to slash electricity costs for commercial applications, and even offer revenue opportunities.
Furthermore, a large manufacturing facility that requires significant amounts of heat to perform a certain process (such as plastic molding, melting or baking) would use cogeneration to produce what is commonly called ?process heat?. Even if there isn?t quite enough heat from cogeneration for all of the processes on a daily basis, there is at least a large supplemental amount available. All of the ?process heat? that comes from Cogeneration means less electricity consumed to produce it in the traditional manner. This in turn will of course equate to cost savings for the company.
Taking Action
There are many (often invisible) barriers to cogeneration that tend to keep it from becoming a more prominent implement in today?s industry. Lack of awareness is one of those barriers. We have found that, once a business owner recognizes the benefits of cogeneration, understands the basics, and receives the knowledge and assistance needed to see it through, the decision to apply this money-saving technology is a ?no-brainer?.
Now that you have gleaned a basic understanding of what Co-generation is and how it works, you should be able to determine how your company could apply it and optimize the benefits. There is a great wealth of information about Co-Generation on the internet, although somewhat left ?on the back burner? in contrast to more traditional energy trends. Even if you aren?t sure whether you could use cogeneration with your business, it is best to consult with an expert and learn more before deciding one way or another.
If you?re interested in Co-generation services for your business, we have expert energy consultants on hand to whom you may direct your questions, find out more information and even start the process of setting it up for your company by calling us at 1-800-974-3020. (You?ll speak to a live person, no cost).
