THE DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SHOW, 12TH & 13TH MARCH 2025, NEC, BIRMINGHAM

16/11/2021

Shenton Group Blog – Improve Your Energy Efficiency with Combined Heat & Power Systems

Energy is expensive. So why do we waste so much of it? Nearly two-thirds of the energy produced when we generate electricity by conventional means is lost through inefficiencies. CHP, or Combined Heat and Power, offers a solution whereby energy production efficiencies are as high as 95%.

To reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere and to reduce energy costs, producing energy by means of CHP is a win-win solution.

Making Use of CHP Energy Can Save You Thousands

In 2019, it is becoming more and more apparent that there is a huge requirement to be as energy-efficient as possible and to ensure our energy systems produce fewer emissions. Combined Heat and Power is the go-to option for any organisation that has a high demand for electricity as well as heat. Leisure centres with swimming pools, spas, hotels, the process industry and large residential blocks of flats can all benefit, as Combined Heat and Power systems can operate at an efficiency level of up to 95%.

The simultaneous production on site of both heat and electricity according to government data, means, you can reduce your emissions ‘by up to 30% compared to the conventional methods of heat generation via a boiler and electricity from a power station.’ So as well as a reduced carbon footprint, this method can result in huge energy savings.

How does CHP work? Greener, Cheaper Energy.

As the CHP engine creates electricity, the engine heats up. The CHP captures the heat energy generated and uses it to contribute towards the heating demands thus reducing the use of gas-fired conventional boilers. Whilst doing this it is generating electricity at a much lower cost per kW than grid electricity, plus it is vastly more efficient than electricity produced by a power station thereby reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere. In simple terms, CHP is the greener choice when it comes to creating energy.

Combined Heat and Power Systems for Commercial Use

Huge operating and energy costs are one of the main reasons businesses and those who run large facilities consider on-site generation and a CHP system provides a reliable and efficient alternative to using the national grid.

Organisations that we have helped benefit from energy savings:

  • Hospitals, Care Homes & Clinical Facilities
  • Universities & Student Accommodation
  • Hotel & Leisure Facilities
  • Manufacturing & Industrial Sites

If you operate a facility in the list above and are based in any location across the UK where hot water is continuously required, then a CHP could help you reduce your outlays and result in significant cost savings. Call us today to find out how!

Biogas Fuelled Combined Heat and Power Systems

Biogas is the name given to Methane produced from the anaerobic digestion of waste material. Animal waste from farms, sewage from wastewater treatment plants and manufacturing waste from food processing factories are some of the typical sources of waste used in anaerobic digestion to produce Biogas.

An Anaerobic Digester plant takes the waste and fast-tracks the rotting process in a large oxygen-free tank thus producing Methane gas or Biogas. Specially adapted CHP engines can run on Biogas and often an Anaerobic Digester plant will have a CHP engine where the electricity is either put into the grid and a feed-in tariff received, or it is used on the site to run various equipment used in the plant or both. The heat generated from the CHP engine is also used in the anaerobic digestion process to keep the digester at its optimum temperature to encourage the rotting process.

In addition to this heat can also be used for:

  • On-site applications such as hot water for dairy farming, heating for animal sheds, agricultural drying equipment.
  • Keeping the digester at the right temperature for optimal anaerobic digestion.
  • Heating other farm buildings including any homes on the site.

Where a CHP engine is used on a greenhouse site, with specialist flue gas treatment, CO2 can be filtered out and pumped into greenhouses to aid plant growth.

Shenton Group CHP Expertise

At Shenton Group, we have years of expertise in the supply and installation of CHP systems. We are the sole UK and Ireland supplier of TEDOM, one of the largest manufacturers of combined heat and power engine systems.

How Do We Determine That CHP Is the Right Solution for You?

We work with you to assess your exact electricity and hot water demands. Next, we do a feasibility study, comparing your power bills to the predicted reduction in energy costs to ensure that purchasing a CHP is going to provide a positive return on investment. If CHP is the correct option to save you money, lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint, we can then help with the supply and install of a CHP solution.

Maintenance for Your CHP

We will ensure that you are covered moving forward with a sophisticated service and maintenance package to keep your CHP engine in perfect condition and running for the optimum number of hours possible.

Visit Shenton Group on stand 1429 at The Distributed Energy Show 2021.