CAR
High Efficiency Cogeneration

Combined and intelligent production, in a single process, of electricity and heat.

The cogeneration units that acquire the CAR (High Efficiency Cogeneration) qualification can access the mechanism of White Certificates (also called Energy Efficiency Certificates – TEE).

CAR
High Efficiency Cogeneration

 

Combined and intelligent production, in a single process, of electricity and heat

The cogeneration units that acquire the CAR (High Efficiency Cogeneration) qualification can access the mechanism of White Certificates (also called Energy Efficiency Certificates – TEE).

How to obtain the recognition of "CAR operation"

For the purpose of recognizing High Efficiency Cogeneration (CAR), a criterion based on the Primary Energy Saving (PES) index is used which represents the primary energy savings achievable compared to the separate production of the same quantities of electricity and thermal energy. In particular, if the resulting primary energy saving value is at least 10% or, in the case of micro-cogeneration units (<50kWe) or small cogeneration (<1MWe), it assumes any positive value.

The regulatory body in this field is the Energy Services Manager (ESM) which annually provides for the recognition of the CAR operation and the subsequent recognition of the number of White Certificates to which a person is entitled.

Reduce energy costs with the CAR

When it comes to energy, it is immediate to refer to electricity, which certainly plays a fundamental role in driving industrial motors and many other equipment. However, for many industrial plants, electricity represents only a fraction of the overall energy requirement, which is instead often characterized by the need for thermal energy (ie, in most cases, heat). It is therefore easy to understand how the possibility of having electricity and heat available simultaneously translates into concrete advantages for companies, while ensuring greater overall efficiency.

A cogeneration plant allows you to:

  • improve energy efficiency through the recovery of heat that would otherwise be lost
  • correspond at the same time to the needs of electrical and thermal energy for the production process
  • obtain economic incentives proportionate to the energy savings achieved (White Certificates)

Applications

The use in the industrial sector concerns the production of heat to be introduced as part of its production process, with the prerequisite of having the need for a high electrical and thermal power and at the same time a requirement of both components that is fairly constant over time. In the civil field it represents a virtuous solution capable of effectively contributing to the reduction of fuel consumption related to the needs for heating buildings and for the production of domestic hot water.

It is possible to distinguish cogeneration plants based on their size, so we speak of micro cogeneration when the power is less than 50 kWe, small cogeneration up to 1 MWe of power, while real cogeneration for all applications with installed electrical power greater than 1 MWe.

A particular form of cogeneration is represented by trigeneration, for which in addition to heat, refrigeration energy is also available for direct use.

The best applications, which allow you to make the most of the advantages of cogeneration, concern users with constant consumption of electricity and heat throughout the year, such as hospitals, retirement homes, swimming pools, sports complexes, residential condominiums, hotels, shopping centers, food and tanning industries.

In some contexts, it is possible to introduce the thermal or cooling energy, produced in the place of generation, into a district heating or cooling network for the remote transport of hot water or chilled water to end users.

What we do for you?

1. System configuration

We provide the correct sizing of the system in order to ensure the best cogeneration performance through the timely verification of the thermal load profile and the actual powers needed by the end user.

2. Engineering and construction

Our team of engineers specialized in the sectors of efficient and rational use of energy, follows the entire process of carrying out the work that involves the design and installation of the cogenerator for both electrical and mechanical aspects, taking care to manage the activities that include the connection to the local distributor’s network, the practices for fire prevention, the final testing for the exercise and management of the practices for requesting the various incentives and concessions provided.

3. Economic benefits

We accompany you towards the recognition of the following benefits:

  • access to the incentive mechanism for White Certificates;
  • priority in the context of dispatching the electricity produced;
  • exemption from the payment of the variable component (€ / kWh) of system charges for self-produced electricity;
  • subsidized excise duties for plants fueled by natural gas;
  • access to the on-site exchange service (SSP) of electricity produced by plants with nominal power up to 200 kWe at the GSE;
  • access to the Dedicated Withdrawal Service (RID) of the electricity produced and fed into the network at the GSE;
  • issue of the Guarantee of Origin (GO) from the GSE, an electronic certification that certifies the renewable origin of the sources used;
  • incentive for electricity produced and fed into the grid by biomethane-powered plants.
4. Management and maintenance

EPS has developed a dedicated system for the management, control and maintenance of cogeneration plants of all sizes, designed to prevent and solve problems with the utmost promptness and effectiveness, guaranteeing timely intervention thanks to the continuous monitoring of functional and process parameters.

The services included support the Customer in the technical management of the plant and in the fulfillment of legal obligations through the activities of:

  • collection, processing and historicization of operating data;
  • energy-environmental management of the plant with global performance analysis;
  • evaluation of energy efficiency interventions;
  • verification of the correct functioning of the measuring instruments;
  • periodic analytical reporting;
  • management of relations with major entities, such as GSE, GME, Energy Distributor, TERNA, Customs Agency, ARERA, SNAM, ISPRA, Ministry of the Environment.

All our systems are supervised by a Service Center able to check the results of the maintenance service, both in terms of service quality and the levels of performance achieved.

5. GME market

We support you in registering with the Energy Markets Manager (EMG) and participating in negotiations on the TEE Market for the sale of Energy Efficiency Certificates (TEE, known as White Certificates).

Our support is always active even in case of purchase and / or sale of TEE exclusively through bilateral transactions.