Doesn't your very own personal power plant sound a little bit like a dream come true? You wouldn't have to worry about power-outages and you'd have direct control over your home's juice. But, you're an EcoGeek, so you're unsure about it, wouldn't your own power plant be overkill? Well, not necessarily, and these distrubuted power solutions are likely an important step in the future of green energy.

There are already thousands of homes in Japan using these systems, called micro-CHPs (combined heat and power). Micro-CHP systems use natural gas generators to produce electricity for homes. The heat from the electrical generator is then used either to create hot water or hot air, which is then used to heat the home. Because of this combined efficiency, a micro-CHP is 3 times more efficient than electricity delivered over the grid. And, as an added benefit, a micro-CHP can serve as a backup generator in the event of a power outage. At night, if you don't need all the power it's producing, you can actually sell the excess back to the power company.

Micro-CHP units aren't inexpensive. The CS Monitor article notes that even a basic system is at least $6000 more than a new high-efficiency gas forced-air furnace. And they still rely on natural gas as a fuel. They may pay back their investment more quickly if electricity prices go up rapidly. But, at the same time, they could become expensive to operate if natural gas prices spike.

The micro-CHP is not permanently sustainable, unlike systems like wind or solar. But it is a much more efficient method of addressing the energy needs of a home.

articles: Christian Science Monitor, CNet News

Comments (8)

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written by James S. , February 07, 2007

This brings up an interesting question for me. Though not "permanently sustainable" wouldn't a significant portion of these in a market, coupled with Solar and/or Wind systems, not only stretch supplies of natural gas to the point of near permanent sustainability, but actually make crap tons of money for the owner since the solar panels work best during peak hours, so the generator would be selling the vast majority of its energy to the Utility?

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written by Janis Mara , February 08, 2007

That's a very good question. I guess the big question is, "What is a significant number?" I know in California we have a Million Solar Roofs initiative that targets that number as making a significant impact, but I don't know what critical mass would be. Experts?

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written by Philip Proefrock , February 09, 2007

I don't think micro-CHP would "stretch supplies of natural gas to the point of near permanent sustainability." It can help, though, and it does provide a more efficient system, by co-generating electricity and heat. Having to run a micro-CHP in order to provide air conditioning, though, seems wholly counter-intuitive.

It also depends on the net metering schemes your local government and utility employ. In my home state (Michigan), net metering cannot result in an annual surplus of electricity produced, or the credit for the overage is simply returned to the utility.

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written by Derek Williamson , February 13, 2007

Alternative enrgies on a small scale will only become truly cost effective for householders when the true costs of carbon emissions are included in the centralised electricity costs.

In Australia significant subsidies are required for renewable and alternative energy systems because the govt will not put these pricing schedules in place because they are afraid of hurting business in the short term.

As some one once said politics is too short sighted to combat issues like sustainability which stretch many years into the future.

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written by James , February 27, 2007

Methane, the largest part of natural gas is both a fossil and bio fuel. Although the vast majority of it comes from deposits, some comes from landfills and other decomposing waste. If we were able to harvest most of it, it would possibly help prevent Global Warming for the short term, because methane has a higher impact than CO2. However, it does dissipate faster.

electricity
written by Tom Murray , June 29, 2007

I found the article about the small generator very interesting, as as well as being a photogrpaher, I am vice chairman of the board of directors a Housing Charity with 6,000 homes, in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk, UK. We are looking at making all of our new homes with the lightest carbon footprint possible, at the same time, trying to reduce the amount of people on our waiting list for a home, roughly 4,000 and rising..
New technology can help, as long as it does,t cost a fortune and in a new build programme, its all so much easier to install from a standing start, rather than expensive retro fitting.

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written by eric ziemba , July 29, 2007

I would like some info on makeing my own hydro electric power with a small stream i have on my property

hello i like chocolate
written by kladfg , October 23, 2008

I like chocolate!

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