Combined Heat and Power for Saving Energy and Carbon in Residential Buildings

ABSTRACT Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems can simultaneously deliver thermal and electric (or mechanical) energy services and thus use fuel very efficiently. Today's smallscale CHP systems already provide heat, cooling and electricity at nearly twice the fuel efficiency of separate heat and power based on power remote plants, electric chilling, and onsite hot water and space heating. In this paper, we have refined and extended our earlier methodology used in assessments of small-scale CHP for commercial buildings, to homes. Recent U.S. and European technology, policy and market developments make the adoption of such "microCHP" technologies by 2010 more likely. Solid oxide and proton exchange membrane fuel cells, reciprocating gas engines and stirling engines are currently being tested for residential applications. The second part of the paper compares gas fired microCHP systems with traditional gas fired furnaces and water heaters for typical single family homes in New England where high electricity costs, net metering and high thermal-to-electric ratios make microCHP more attractive. Our model provides 1) the allowable turn key cost premium, $1,444 for a 4-year payback and an assumed$100 additional annual maintained cost, and the 2) carbon reductions, 29% or 0.8 Mt c (metric tons of carbon equivalent). 1 The complete study with additional market segments, scenarios and uncertainty analysis will be available at http://gwu.edu/~deppe/chp.htm or can be requested at [email protected]. Background/Motivatio

Ethics, Physics, and Public Policy

This paper discusses the ethical aspects of physicists\u27, and the physics community\u27s involvement in public policy. The work of individual physicists is often quite distant from any societal impact and thus public policy is not normally considered an important ethical consideration for individual physicists. However, in light of the great societal impact of physics-based technologies, the physics profession, by definition, has a major impact on public policy. In addition, most physicists in the U.S. benefited considerably from public funding in their physics education, and many continue to depend upon federal and state funding. Thus, there is a strong ethical argument for the physics community to support some physicists and institutions that work to improve public policy so that these technological impacts are beneficial. For example, sustainability problems due to unequal resource allocation and unsustainable consumption patterns are both caused by and can be solved with technological innovation. Physics training can be useful for understanding and developing solutions to these problems. However, public policy, not physics, will largely determine whether technology exacerbates or solves these problems in the future. Therefore, this paper presents a framework of four world-views (the general public, bureaucracies, activists and chiefs) that was developed by anthropologists. It then suggests how this framework can be used to guide the broadening of the physics profession\u27s impact on public policy. It is intended to counter the view of many physicists that policy changes they would recommend (such as those that would promote the use of more sustainable technologies) are not politically feasible. This paper argues that such changes would be more politically feasible if the physics community trained and supported more translators to work with the full set players that impact policy in our democratic society

Combined Heat and Power for Saving Energy and Carbon in Residential Buildings

This report is the description of saving carbon in residences using the microCHP