WEST ORANGE, N.J.—Enersave, Inc. announced that it has been selected to supply and install two 10KW advanced micro-cogeneration units at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in West Orange, N.J. Although more than 1,000 of the Yanmar cogeneration units have been operating in other countries for years, low natural gas prices have made the United States an attractive market for cogeneration of all sizes.
Cogeneration systems generate electricity and hot water simultaneously at up to 85 percent efficiency. Operating on clean burning natural gas, the units meet all environmental regulations and are extremely quiet. These microcogeneration units are a good fit for smaller hotels, apartment buildings, health clubs, commercial laundries and very large homes with swimming pools. Cogeneration is the use of one fuel to generate two forms of energy, in this case electricity and hot water.
The Yanmar engine that is the heart of the system is designed to operate continuously for years before needing any service. Engine wear is nearly eliminated by the use of synthetic lubricants. In addition to generating electricity, heat is captured from the engine jacket and exhaust to produce overall conversion efficiencies above 85 percent. This compares to a typical central generation plant efficiency of 30 percent to 35 percent. The hot water produced by the Yanmar units will be used in the laundry and domestic hot water systems, nearly eliminating the consumption of natural gas in the existing hot water boilers.
Rebates Available to Defray Costs
New Jersey and New York are encouraging the development of cogeneration with rebates to defray part of the cost. More instate cogeneration means energy savings, less air pollution, less electricity imported from out of state and a lowering of New Jersey’s carbon emissions.
The natural gas abundance that the United States is experiencing means low natural gas prices are likely to continue for many years, allowing cogeneration installations to recover their installed cost in four to five years.
Enersave is a New Jersey based company that develops comprehensive energy solutions for its customers. These include energy efficiency, cogeneration and solar electricity. During the past several decades Enersave’s senior staff has saved their clients more than $250 million in utility bill costs from a wide range of clean energy solutions.
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