With various electricity companies vying for your business, CHP’s self-generated power is a clear-cut competitive advantage over traditional energy options that are expensive, require numerous highly specialized personnel and reduce grid disruptions and power being lost on transmission. With self-generation, communities and facilities do not need to build grid infrastructure like new power plants. Its environmental impact is minimized as well as it reduces the release of harmful greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide. A wide variety of sectors are no stranger to CHP infrastructure and capacity. To name a few, the industrial, manufacturing, real estate, and entertainment arena industries rely on energy to power their businesses. CHP also captures heat and steam that are used to heat water and heating for these industries during the cold and winter months. For the industrial sector, CHP powers manufacturing plants, chemical production and refineries that produce “high temperature waste streams” that can be recovered to be used in heat boilers or steam turbine systems. Traditional power stations waste steam by releasing it from its chimneys. This solves the problem of waste heat and puts it to good use, which can improve energy efficiency by as much as 40%-50%. For commercial and residential real estate, many condo buildings, apartment complexes, shopping malls and office towers are starting to install and utilize CHP systems to help cut their more extensive usage and expensive electricity or hydro rates. There’s been new interest in these energy technologies and solutions as many companies want to break free from price increases, lack of control over its own power production and paying for energy that isn’t ...

As extreme weather and climate events like hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, heat waves and droughts become more prevalent, energy disruptions are bound to happen.  These power outages affect both our economy and lives, bringing security concerns and posing health and safety risks.  During times like these, having a reliable energy source is important to ensure essential services like hospitals and wastewater treatment plants are disrupted at a minimum. Both rely on power to keep people safe and away from dangerous sewage spills.  These essential infrastructures depend on backup generators to power and get their work done. However, generators are not always the most reliable and can be susceptible to failure. Below provide examples of how businesses were affected during power outages.  More than ever CHP systems can provide critical infrastructures continuous power during emergency situations. Why hospitals need reliable power During the 2003 Northeastern blackout, over 45 million people in the U.S. and 10 million in Canada were affected. The power outage that lasted nearly 48 hours and stretched from Ohio to Massachusetts and upwards to Ontario faced one of the worst blackouts in recent history. In Toronto, one hospital which had functioning cogeneration systems in place continued to operate efficiently and provided continuous power due to having a reliable power source. A stark contrast and a different outcome happened in San Diego, California in 2011 when a blackout left two hospitals scrambling for help after their backup power generators failed within hours of the power outage. Certain patients in emergency care had to be moved to nearby hospital facilities with proper power. CHP systems ...

With most North American cities are facing a crisis and coupled with international borders being shut down, it’s more important than ever to stay safe and sane at home. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, many companies have opted for Work From Home policies for their staff and employees to practice social distancing and health and safety precautions. With more people staying at home, Canadians have seen a spike in their energy use and bills. Elected officials and energy companies have already responded to the demand by slashing on-peak electricity rates but there are still some simple strategies we can do at home to help reduce our energy bills and carbon footprint. Below are some energy-saving tips and tricks that everyone can do at home: 1. Programming and playing with the thermostat: Experiment with your thermostat settings to see how much energy is used every day. In warmer days, turn off your thermostat and open windows to cool off your home. For cooler days, adding layers to your clothes and dressing up in normal office wear can also help offset your heating bill. 2. Use your outdoor space and maximize natural light: If you are lucky enough to have a balcony, backyard or outdoor space at your home, then this one is for you. Some folks have converted their outdoor space as a place to have family meals, hang out with pets, and also by adding a table and chair outside to function as a work or homework space for the kids. By using natural light and being outdoors, this is also ...

Combined Heat and Power also known as CHP or cogeneration is an energy efficient solution that produces electricity onsite and saves generated thermal power that otherwise would be wasted. This thermal energy is then used as hot water or heat that helps reduce energy and heating costs. Wasted energy is a major concern when it comes to traditional conventional electricity production. By generating electricity onsite with CHP, it cuts all wasted energy being transmitted and you only pay for what is actually used. And with some CHP projects, they generate an abundance of electricity that energy can then be sold back to the grid for added profit. CHP has many advantages that includes financial savings, environmental impact and efficiency over traditional power systems. FINANCIAL REWARDS • Energy costs can be cut from 25%-40% monthly, which can add up. Onsite CHP systems need less fuel to produce electricity. Being at source not only removes the middle man, it also provides protection from energy rate increases that happen yearly. • Depending on your energy partner, CHP installation mean there are no upfront costs. This is usually taken care of by our energy partner for a fixed term. And since one advantage is that electricity is produced onsite, a fixed lower energy rate is agreed upon on contract. • Investing in green energy also gives access to government tax credits and incentives, which drive management and operational costs down. ENVIRONMENTAL EDGE • Since less fuel is needed to produce electricity, CHP helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution that negatively impacts the health and lives of Canadians. EFFICIENCY ...