Performance of Residential Micro-CHP Operating in a District Energy Network

: To resolve the problem of the imbalance between micro-Combined Heat and Power (m-CHP) supply and demand, a district energy network has been established based on residential m-CHP units powered by natural gas-fueled internal combustion engine. The electric and thermal loads of a Harbin residential building in a typical winter heating week are calculated. The performance of the m-CHP systems operating in two operation strategies, i.e., Following the Electric Load (FEL) and Following the Thermal Load (FTL), are analyzed and evaluated from both energy and economic aspects. The result shows that the energy cost of the m-CHP is reduced by 10% when operating in FTL mode, and the income from selling excess energy is 2.7 times more than that in FEL mode, indicating lower operation costs in FEL mode. Moreover, compared with the traditional separate production of electricity and heat, the net cost reduction rate of the system in FEL and FTL mode is 13.68% and 38.83%, respectively. Micro-CHP operating in a district energy network is more profitable than traditional separate electricity and heat production.