Environmental Valuation & Cost-Benefit News

Link: http://www.epa.gov/chp/public-recognition/current_winners.html

In 2005, the East Kansas Agri-Energy dry mill ethanol plant set an industry record when construction was completed in only 18 months. In addition to this noteworthy accomplishment, the plant also includes a CHP system designed and developed by ICM, which transforms a requirement to control air pollution into an opportunity to address the plant’s energy demands.

The plant’s air pollution permit requires that emissions of volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide from the plant be destroyed using a thermal oxidizer. Instead of venting the otherwise waste heat generated to ultimately satisfy this regulatory requirement, the plant recovers the heat from the oxidizer exhaust and produces steam. This steam is used to meet the steam demand of the ethanol production process. Excess steam is sent to a steam turbine that generates up to 1 MW of electricity and reduces the plant’s dependence on the local grid.

And the ingenuity doesn't stop there. The plant achieves additional fuel and emission reductions because the thermal oxidizer is partially fueled by biogas - a renewable fuel. The biogas is produced by an anaerobic digester that removes unwanted organic acids from the plant’s recycled water streams. This ICM design configuration also reduces the magnitude of the plant’s wastewater discharge.

With an operating efficiency of approximately 82 percent, the CHP system requires approximately 23 percent less fuel than typical onsite thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the CHP system reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 14,500 tons per year. This reduction is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from 2,400 cars or planting 3,000 acres of forest.

EPA and DOE are proud to recognize the outstanding pollution reduction and energy efficiency qualities of this project by presenting East Kansas Agri-Energy LLC with a 2008 ENERGY STAR CHP Award.

POET Biorefining Ashton CHP System

In April 2004, POET began full production at an ethanol plant in Ashton, IA. The plant currently processes about 16 million bushels of corn and produces nearly 56 million gallons of ethanol each year. The plant was POET’s eighteenth ethanol plant at the time and its second plant equipped with CHP. Up to 7.2 MW of electricity is generated by a natural gas-fired Solar turbine to reduce the plant’s dependence on the local grid. Heat recovered from the turbine’s exhaust produces 56,000 pounds of steam per hour to support ethanol production.

With an operating efficiency of approximately 69 percent, the CHP system requires approximately 16 percent less fuel than typical onsite thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the CHP system reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 18,900 tons per year. This reduction is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from 3,100 cars and planting 3,900 acres of forest.

EPA and DOE are proud to recognize the outstanding pollution reduction and energy efficiency qualities of this project by presenting POET Biorefining with a 2008 ENERGY STAR CHP Award.

Clinton Hill Apartments CHP System

The Clinton Hill Apartments of Brooklyn, New York consist of twelve, medium-rise buildings that offer living space for a diverse resident population. The buildings were originally constructed in 1946 to provide housing for the workforce of the old Brooklyn Navy Yard. In 2006, the apartment complex became a home to a natural gas-fired CHP system. Principally funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Clean Air Communities, manufactured by UTC Power and Capstone Turbine Corporation, the system generates up to 600 kW of electricity using 13 microturbines. Otherwise wasted heat from the microturbine exhaust is recovered and used to produce domestic hot water for 700 apartment units. Operation of the system allows Clinton Hill Apartments to shut down four, old, residual fuel oil-fired boilers during summer months when local air pollution is worst.

With an operating efficiency of approximately 82 percent, the CHP system requires approximately 23 percent less fuel than typical onsite thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the CHP system reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 1,680 tons per year. This reduction is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from 280 cars or planting nearly 350 acres of forest.

EPA and DOE are proud to recognize the outstanding pollution reduction and energy efficiency qualities of this project by presenting Clinton Hill Apartment Owners Corporation with a 2008 ENERGY STAR CHP Award.

Red Hook Fairway Market CHP system

In 2004, major renovations to an abandoned, pre-civil war warehouse at 480 Van Brunt Street in Brooklyn, New York were completed. Overlooking the New York City harbor, the revitalized structure contains a Fairway Supermarket and a mix of studios, offices and residences. The project was part of an aggressive economic development and urban renewal effort and was coupled with an energy conservation project - the installation of an efficient CHP system. Fueled by natural gas, the CHP system is centered on four modular Coast Intelligen internal combustion engines that generate up to a total of 950 kW of electricity. Recovered heat from the engine block and exhaust is used to produce domestic hot water and provide space heating and cooling for the residents and guests of the Red Hook Fairway building.

With an operating efficiency of approximately 78 percent, the CHP system requires approximately 29 percent less fuel than typical onsite thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the CHP system reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 2,740 tons per year. This reduction is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from nearly 460 cars or planting nearly 570 acres of forest.

EPA and DOE are proud to recognize the outstanding pollution reduction and energy efficiency qualities of this project by presenting Red Hook Green Power, LLC with a 2008 ENERGY STAR CHP Award.

Westfield YMCA CHP system

The YMCA in Westfield, NJ supports the local community by providing active, healthy and educational programs and activities for children. Whether those children are enjoying aquatic activities, washing their hands after a full day or arts and crafts or staying warm during a cold winter day, they are unknowingly benefiting from CHP. Owned by American DG NY, LLC and based on a Tecogen natural-gas fired internal combustion engine, the CHP system produces up to 140 kW of electricity for the YMCA. Otherwise wasted heat from the exhaust and engine block is recovered and used to produce hot water that supplies heat for space heating, domestic hot water and the facility's multiple swimming pools.

With an operating efficiency of approximately 65 percent, the CHP system requires approximately 21 percent less fuel than typical onsite thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the CHP system reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 255 tons per year. This reduction is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from 42 cars or planting 53 acres of forest.

EPA and DOE are proud to recognize the outstanding pollution reduction and energy efficiency qualities of this project by presenting American DG NY, LLC with a 2008 ENERGY STAR CHP Award.

Columbia Energy Center

Powered by two General Electric natural gas-fired combustion turbines and a Toshiba steam turbine, Calpine's Columbia Energy Center in Gaston, South Carolina is a natural gas-fired CHP system, producing up to 500 MW of electricity - all of which is delivered to the local utility grid. Recovered heat from the turbines' exhaust is used to produce up to one million pounds of steam per hour that is utilized by an adjacent Eastman Chemical plant for the manufacture of thermoplastic polymer resins. The production and use of this steam has allowed the chemical plant to retire several old coal-fired boilers.

With an operating efficiency of approximately 54 percent, the CHP system requires approximately 31 percent less fuel than typical onsite thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the CHP system reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 142,000 tons per year. This reduction is equivalent to avoiding the annual emissions from 23,600 cars or planting 29,400 acres of forest.

EPA is proud to recognize the significant pollution reduction and energy efficiency qualities of this project by presenting Calpine Corporation with a 2008 ENERGY STAR CHP Award.

Verizon Garden City Fuel Cell Project

The Verizon call routing center in Garden City, New York, is home to the largest U.S. commercial fuel cell installation of its kind. Designed by Keyspan Energy, the CHP system produces up to 1.4 MW of electricity, operates in parallel with the grid under normal circumstances, and serves as back-up in the event of a grid power failure or natural disaster. Hot water from seven natural gas-fired UTC Power fuel cells is recovered and utilized for space cooling and heating of the 292,000-square foot office that serves more than 35,000 telecommunication customers in the area.

With an operating efficiency of approximately 57 percent, the CHP system requires approximately 24 percent less fuel than typical onsite thermal generation and purchased electricity. Based on this comparison, the CHP system reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 3,900 tons per year. This reduction is equivalent to removing the annual emissions from 650 cars or planting 810 acres of forest.

EPA is proud to recognize the outstanding pollution reduction and energy efficiency qualities of this project by presenting Verizon Communications with a 2008 ENERGY STAR CHP Award.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Partnership www.epa.gov/chp
http://www.epa.gov/chp/public-recognition/current_winners.html
Awarded June, 2008