United States.
The U.S. Army has debuted a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. This new cogeneration plant is the first of its kind at an army facility, and represents an innovative public-private partnership between Material Command, U.S. Army Facility Management Command, Baltimore Gas and Electric and Johnson Controls.
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Advanced Manufacturing (AMO) provides technical assistance at various levels throughout the development of the project.
The implementation of CHP is an effective and clean approach to on-site generation of electrical power and useful thermal energy from a single source. The Aberdeen Proving Ground plant is expected to save nearly $25 million over the next five years and generate enough electricity to cover about half of the facility's energy needs.
It will also meet approximately 80% of the facility's steam needs. This energy is provided by converting waste heat into energy, which increases the energy efficiency of the plant and reduces emissions. A cogeneration system provides greater energy security by offering an on-site source of energy that is not subject to the market cost of electricity or supply interruptions. The energy supply is also diversified by allowing the integration of both fossil and renewable fuels.
