Clean Energy Resource Teams

Cogeneration, or combined heat and power, is the simultaneous production of electricity and useful heat from the same fuel or energy. Facilities with cogeneration systems use them to produce electricity, and use the waste heat for process steam, hot water heating, space heating, and other thermal needs. Fuels commonly used in cogeneration include natural gas, oil, diesel fuel, propane, coal, wood, wood-waste and biomass.

General Information

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Cooling, Heating and Power for Buildings – DOE Program
Environmental Protection Agency: Combined Heat and Power.
Provides general technology information as well as success stories from around the country.

Combined Heat and Power: Capturing Wasted Energy – American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
A primer on combined heat and power technologies by R. Neal Elliott and Mark Spurr, 1999.

District Energy, St. Paul
District Energy is a combined heat and power plant that brings heat and cooling to downtown St. Paul buildings.

International District Energy Association

Power Plant Facility Siting & Permiting – Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
The MN Public Utilities Commission has responsibility for the site and route permitting of certain energy facilities, including electric power plants generating more than 50 megawatts.

Research & Publications

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District Energy Library – University of Rochester
This Web site provides a wide range of information on district energy and CHP including numerous links and publications.

CHP Installations – U.S. DOE Oak Ridge National Lab
The lab keeps an impressive number of publications on hand, with ongoing updates.

Deployment of Distributed Energy Resources: Sources of Financial Assistance and Information – Federal Energy Management Program, January 2002

Opportunities to Expand Cogeneration in Minnesota – Center for Energy and Environment, August 1996

Inventory of Cogeneration Potential in Minnesota – Minnesota Planning, August 2001

Contractors & Developers

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Midwest CHP Application Center
Located in Chicago and partially funded by the US Department of Energy, this is a premier center for technical assistance on CHP, such as determining the feasibility of CHP at a particular site. Check their website for CHP evaluation tools. Contact: John Cuttica, 312-996-4382.

Case Studies

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CERTs Cogeneration Case Studies