AC-02-18-1 -- The Potential of CHP Technology in Commercial Buildings—Characterizing the CHP Demonstration Building

A baseline characterization of an electric commercial office building is used to describe the current performance commonly found in state-of-the-art commercial office buildings. The baseline characterization is also used to assess cooling, heating, and power (CHP) packaged and modular system integration concepts with the building and their respective impacts on energy efficiency, atmospheric emissions, and indoor air quality. This characterization includes an exami-nation of load profiles, energy distribution, heating ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls, and mechanical equipment design. Implementation of the CHP concept could improve commercial office building performance by providing a solution that increases system efficiency by 30%, reduces CO₂ emissions by 45%, and provides improved indoor air quality. The CHP concept encompasses on-site power generation from natural gas in conjunction with waste-heat activated cooling, humidity control, and heating technology.

Units: Dual