Domestic CHP Field Trial – Demonstrating energy savings and environmental benefits in a real world context

Project Description

This project aims to conduct a field trial for a Domestic Combined Heat and Power (CHP) prototype. Fingleton White is a leading developer of industrial CHP in Ireland, and has developed a domestic scale CHP. A prototype has been built and tested in a laboratory and the environmental and financial savings have been proven in this setting. The project aims to refine the design of this existing prototype and to carry out a field trial for the winter 2019/2020 heating season. A domestic house in Cork has been identified as the location for this field trial. The CHP system will be installed in parallel with an existing gas-fired boiler and the heating system will be configured so that the CHP operates as the 'lead' in the heating system, with the boiler being used for supplementary heating during periods of particularly high demand. The objective of the field trial is to subject the prototype to a 'real-world' use, whereby it will be used as a domestic appliance, in the same way as a gas boiler or other typical device found in the home would be treated. The machine will be used to demonstrate the benefits of Domestic CHP and to develop the prototype into a product suitable for general release onto the market. Following the conclusion of the field trial the performance of the prototype will be analysed and published in a report.