The NSW government has released a guide and tool so businesses can determine whether a cogeneration or trigeneration system is financially and technically viable.
Launching the guide, NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker said the Energy Saver Cogeneration feasibility guide was the first major project delivered under the Government’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan, which has a goal to save 16,000 gigawatt-hours of energy a year by 2021.
“The guide gives businesses clear information about the benefits and appropriate use of cogeneration and trigeneration and is a demonstration of our commitment to help business to be more energy efficient,” Ms Parker said.
“The guide is a practical document designed to guide business decision-making by answering the questions: where, what and how for on-site cogeneration and trigeneration.
Ms Parker said that a cogeneration system could save a business up to 60 per cent on energy bills during peak times, and cut carbon emissions by up to two-thirds.
“However, whether a system is viable depends on the operating hours, how much heat is required on-site, whether heat and power are used concurrently, and fuel costs.
“Some business sites can make large energy and cost savings with cogeneration and trigeneration – and this guide will help to answer the questions: is this the best technology to use? Is it viable for my business?
Aside from helping business managers decide whether the technology is financially viable, the guide also helps engineers and facilities managers with a technical step-by-step feasibility guide and further technical information, detailing the considerations for selecting and implementing an on-site generation system.
The Government has also created a cogeneration feasibility tool to be used in conjunction with the guide, which allows the input of a site’s energy and tariff data to help make an informed decision about the financial viability of cogeneration.
The tool:
- helps identify the most appropriate plant size
- provides different future price scenarios to allow sensitivity analyses
- provides financial estimates using internal rate of return, net present value and simple payback calculations
The report and tool can be downloaded from the Office of Environment and Heritage website.
