Wellons FEI can offer and integrate small scale co-generation as part of their biomass boiler systems. The following is a brief description of what a co-generation system is.
In power systems, the use of steam for both power generation and heating is called Co-generation. High-temperature, high-pressure steam from a boiler and super heater first passes through a turbine to produce power. It is exhausted at a temperature and pressure suitable for heating purposes, instead of being expanded in the turbine to the lowest possible pressure and then discharged to the condenser, which would waste the remaining energy in the steam. The steam at the higher pressure can provide large amounts of lower-temperature energy for heating buildings, greenhouses or sending to a process. Considerable overall energy savings can be obtained by cogeneration.
With current biomass and electrical rates, you seldom see projects that are viable without using the Co-generation model. It’s very important to use the ‘’Heat First Method’’. This term basically means that you take care of your heating load first and whatever you get for electrical generation is a bi-product. Thinking of electrical generation first seldom works since you must waste the excess heat in order to get the desired electrical power output. It’s like taking a large portion of the money you spent on biomass and throwing it down the drain because you have no useful heat load.
The best fit for the size of boilers that Wellons FEI builds are small single stage turbines. These units are low maintenance and very cost effective.