Energy-saving heating and power systems under development

Scientists at Argonne National Labs expect to take three years to complete a project to cut many electric bills in half. (WJBC file photo)
Scientists at Argonne National Labs expect to take three years to complete a project to cut many electric bills in half. (WJBC file photo)

 

By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network

LEMONT – Engineers at Argonne National Labs think they could cut your electric bill in half with their new project.

Combined heating and power systems, or CHPs, have been used by businesses for decades to lower utility bills and keep the lights on when the power goes out. They typically cost up to $30,000. Now, scientists at the suburban Chicago laboratory expect to have a $3,000 CHP for the home ready in three years.

“It will transform the way we look at electricity, especially in knowing that each homeowner is contributing toward grid resiliency while benefitting from lower utility costs,” Argonne Principal Research Engineer Munidhar Biruduganti said.
Along with Purdue University, Mississippi State University and equipment manufacturer Air Squared Inc., researchers at Argonne were awarded $2.7 million in federal grant money in October to make a consumer version of a CHP.

“It’s really fascinating to have industry and academia tap into national laboratory resources and capabilities to develop innovations for the American people,” Biruduganti said.
Biruduganti said the system would power all but the home’s largest appliances, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, which would reach past the baseline power that the CHP could provide. The rest of the home would run on the CHP system.

Another issue with current CHPs is that they must connect back to the power grid when they need to release excess power, which is quite expensive. Biruduganti said their new, smaller CHP would use all of the energy it produces in the home, and each unit would not need to be connected to the power grid.

Biruduganti said wide use of decentralized, self-contained CHPs would help protect consumers from potential attacks on the country’s aging power grid.

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