Can a CHP System Integrate Cooling?

If you think your combined heat and power (CHP) system is just for lights and boilers, think again. Today’s facilities aren’t just looking to keep the lights on; they want efficiency, resilience, and year-round comfort. You can turn waste heat into chilled water with an absorption chiller, adding cooling power to your CHP playbook. It’s a game-changer for buildings that need innovative ways to stay cool. But CHP systems do much more than supply electricity and heat—they’re adaptable platforms that meet your building’s unique needs, from chillers and boilers to specialty process equipment.

Beyond Heat: The Cool Factor

Traditional CHP systems capture waste heat from a single fuel source and put it to use for heating, hot water, or industrial processes. But if you’re running a facility, like hospitals or data centers, where air conditioning, process cooling, or cooler temperatures are just as important as heat in the winter, there’s more options.

By linking a cogeneration system to an absorption chiller, buildings can use recovered heat to generate chilled water for air conditioning or specialized cooling processes.

It works like this:

• An absorption chiller connects to the “waste” heat stream from your CHP system.
• That freed-up energy is converted into chilled water, ready to flow through your air conditioning units or cooling coils.
• No extra fuel is burned, but your system’s productivity triples, delivering three forms of energy from the same input.

Who Are the Best Candidates?

CHP systems work best in buildings where cooling is critical, not just a summer luxury:

• Hospitals need dependable, efficient cooling for patients, equipment, and year-round operations.
• Data centers run hot and require stable, non-stop cooling to avoid costly downtime.
• Hotels see a spike in demand as soon as the weather warms up; guests expect their comfort and cooling needs to be met.
• Manufacturing plants and facilities can recover both process heat and power chillers.
• Museums require robust cooling systems to maintain stable temperature and humidity conditions for valuable artwork and sensitive exhibits.

For these facilities, utilizing recovered heat for cooling can result in lower electricity bills during the hottest months and a significant boost to overall system efficiency.

Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Resilience

The benefits of cogeneration go beyond just adding air conditioning. These systems can reach overall energy efficiencies of up to 90%—far above the average 36% typical at central power plants. This means less fuel is burned per unit of energy delivered and a significant reduction in operating costs, which is not only efficient for your business, but also for your pockets, too.

• By producing electricity, heat, and chilled water on-site, you reduce strain on the grid, helping during peak summer demand.
• Absorption chillers use water as a refrigerant (not chemical coolants)  and operate more quietly than conventional compressor-driven units.
• You also gain on-site resilience: chilled water and backup power keep your operation running and comfortable through grid disruptions.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Cogeneration could be the missing piece for facilities where cooling is a major slice of their energy spend. Curious if your site is a fit? Our team of Energy Experts can walk you through system sizing, technical fit, and more—with no upfront costs.