Engineering

The CHP program has undergone extensive changes since it was released and it may be more appealing than ever to multi-family building owners.

What is a CHP System?

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems provide electric power, heating and cooling from a single fuel source located in the building. It is also called cogeneration.

Typical power generation systems create heat as a byproduct and release it into the air as waste. A  CHP systems captures this heat and uses it to heat water and for heating and cooling. The recycling of heat makes this a very efficient system that saves energy and money. 

CHP systems can also produce electricity and heat during a grid outage, a popular feature that appeals to many building owners and tenants. 

 What has changed with the program?

There have been many changes to the program but a few that directly affect multi-family building owners are:

• – Systems smaller than 50kW are now eligible
• – Systems larger than 1.3MW are eligible but after 12/31/16 those large than 3 MW will not be  
• – CHP systems fueled by propane, compressed natural gas and pipeline natural gas are all eligible
• – An incentive calculator in now available to help estimate the amount of the incentive

What are the next steps?

Applications for installation projects 3MW and smaller will be accepted until December 31, 2018 and projects over 3MW until December 30, 2016 or until funds run out. RO can help you with the application process, choose the correct equipment to maximize your benefit and estimate the amount of incentive available.

Additional information about the program can be found on the NYSERDA website. Contact RO today and see if a CHP System is right for your building.