Huge potential for energy and financial savings

The decision of any individual building owner or manager to install a CHP system will of course be based on the specific benefits relevant to their own use. Nexus has developed a proprietary analytic software tool capable of incorporating many complex parameters to help provide accurate forecasts of GHG reductions and financial savings for specific equipment installations. The Nexus Economic Evaluation Tool (NEET) is useful for making purchasing decisions, as well as optimizing system sizing and guiding other system choices during project design phases. NEET incorporates such factors as current and projected utility prices, efficiency of current equipment, inflation, and maintenance costs, etc. If desired, Nexus would be pleased to perform a NEET analysis for a Solace Longhouse project, to estimate specific benefits of CHP installation for that case.

General advantages that encourage building owners to adopt CHP systems include:

Financial Benefits

• Reduce energy costs by up to 50% with the purchase of a CHP system

• Reduce energy costs by up to 20% without capital outlay through a micro-utility program.

• Stabilize the risks associated with rapidly rising electricity prices in your business over a fixed period.

• CHP provides a high level of LEED or BOMA Go Green points.

• Waste heat is classified as a renewable energy. Utilizing the waste heat from a CHP system qualifies for carbon credits and rebates in many jurisdictions, including Alberta.

Operational Benefits

• Improve the security of electrical supply to the site by utilizing the Cogeneration unit as a standby generator at times when the electricity grid fails.

• Improve the security of heat supply to the site by utilizing the Cogeneration unit as a standby boiler at times when boilers are out of service for any reason.

• Limit the need for investment in replacement or new boiler plant by meeting the base load thermal requirements with a CHP

Environmental Benefits

• Contribute to global environmental improvement by reducing fossil fuel usage. Operating a CHP plant at point of use to generate primary energy improves energy efficiency and reduces the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions, in particular carbon dioxide (CO2).

• Lower SOx emissions with the use of cleaner natural gas as a fuel for electrical generation. Using coal for thermal power plants is 2.5 times as harmful to the earth’s atmosphere as natural gas.In Alberta, 50% of the grid power is currently produced from coal burning power plants.

Incorporating CHP units into Solace Longhouse structures can clearly provide benefits on many levels. Nexus would be pleased to work with First Pac West to provide further details on specific projects. CHP is beneficial as a stand-alone solution to achieve greater environmental and financial sustainability. CHP can be an even more powerful tool when used to support greenhouses for food growing use, or as part of an integrated enhancement to the living environment