US EPA recognises CHP’s role in public health

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognised five facilities for their efforts to reduce emissions that threaten public health while increasing energy reliability and efficiency.

The government agency will present the Energy Star Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Award at the forthcoming International District Energy Association’s Annual Campus Energy Conference.

“Our Energy Star CHP award winners are better serving their students and patients while safeguarding the environment,” said Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for EPA´s Office of Air and Radiation. “These institutions are protecting their critical operations from power outages and our climate from harmful carbon pollution with more reliable and more efficient CHP systems.”

CHP ensured the award-winning hospitals and universities continued to operate in the event of a power outage.

The award winners include: Medical Area Total Energy Plant in Boston, Montefiore Medical Center, New York (pictured), the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York University and Texas A&M University.

The five winning CHP systems achieved operating efficiencies ranging from 69 to 75 per cent, much higher than the efficiency of separate production of electricity and thermal energy, which can be less than 50 per cent.

The medical centres’ and universities’ increase in operating efficiency not only reduces their energy costs but prevents carbon pollution equal to the emissions from the electricity used by more than 33,000 homes.

New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and New York University have each reported annual savings of approximately $5m while Texas A&M University reported savings of nearly $150m in the last 10 years.

Established in 2001, EPA´s voluntary CHP Partnership program seeks to reduce the environmental impact of power generation by promoting the use of cost-effective CHP.

Source: COSPP.com