Residential Test of Honda Micro Combined Heating and Power System
07 March 2006
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| Micro CHP schematic. |
A micro combined heating and power system (Micro CHP) unit—fueled by natural gas—from Honda Motor and Climate Energy is being used in a Massachusetts home in the first residential test in the US of this type of system. (Earlier post.)
Honda supplies its compact home-use cogeneration unit to Climate Energy, which in turn, combines it with a furnace or boiler as a supplemental system to conventional space heating and electric power in new and existing homes. Designed primarily for detached single-family homes, the unit generates up to three kilowatts of thermal output per hour and one kilowatt of electricity, while delivering ultra-quiet operation.
The Honda unit’s compact design consists of a small natural gas-powered internal combustion engine (the GE160V) developed specifically for this application, and a small electrical generation system that utilizes Honda’s sine wave inverter technology.
The complete Climate Energy Micro-CHP system, powered by the Honda MCHP unit, results in more than 85% efficiency in converting fuel energy into useful heat and electric power. This represents a very large improvement over conventional heating appliances and grid-supplied electric power, and will ultimately provide consumers with a substantial savings in their heating and electrical bills. In certain markets, the system will even deliver the ability to sell power back to the grid at full retail value.
Honda anticipates that the system will yield a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions as compared with conventional heating appliances and grid supplied electricity.
A similar version of Honda’s co-generation unit has been available for general use in Japan since March of 2003.
Any news on how much this unit would cost? I have a 25 year old HVAC system that I'll probably replace in a few years, I would be interested in seeing how much it costs relative to a standard HVAC system.
Posted by: Cosmo | 07 March 2006 at 05:48 AM
How much natural gas does this use? My heating bill this winter topped out at about $100/month (I just bought the house and haven't had a chance to do much insulating), but my electric was only $40.
Posted by: Icelander | 07 March 2006 at 06:39 AM
Roughly 16 scf/hr, 12000 scf/month.
Posted by: tom deplume | 08 March 2006 at 07:54 AM
If Japan has been using a similar system for years, what's to 'test?' Roll it out, already. And give us some numbers to determine cost-effectiveness.
Posted by: hamerhokie | 13 March 2006 at 11:49 AM