Cogeneration, or combined heat and power, is the use of a power station, usually a turbine, to simultaneously generate both electricity and usable heat. Conventional power plants are not capable of effectively using heat that is produced as a byproduct of electricity generation. Cogeneration captures the heat by-product for domestic or industrial heating purposes. This usually occurs very close to the plant or in district heating systems, which are common in Scandinavian countries. Heat can also be used in absorption chillers for cooling purposes. Cogeneration increases the efficiency of fuel consumption and is valuable method of reducing carbon emissions.
Cogeneration
