June 2, 2009

combined heat and power

Speakers:
Dr Patrick James, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton
Dr Keith Tovey, Reader in Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia

When we burn fuel to produce electricity, heat is made as a by-produce, but, currently, all that heat goes to waste, even though almost half the UK’s total energy consumption is in the production of heat. A report by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) suggests that, with the current generation of thermal nuclear power stations coming to the end of their lifespans, this could be the perfect time to introduce combined heat and power (CHP) to the UK’s energy generation capabilities. Some of report’s key authors came to the SMC to discuss their findings and recommendations.