Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Partnership

Frequent Questions

What is the Combined Heat and Power Partnership?

Through the CHP Partnership, EPA's CHP team works with CHP stakeholders to reduce air pollution and water usage associated with electric power generation by increasing the use of CHP. EPA’s goal is to remove policy barriers and to facilitate the development of new projects in the United States and its territories by promoting the economic, environmental, and reliability benefits of CHP. We provide tools, policy information, and other resources to energy users; the CHP industry; clean air officials; and other clean energy stakeholders.

Visit About Us for more information.

What does the CHP Partnership offer?

Additional resources and benefits are available to Partners.

Who are EPA's CHP Partners?

EPA's CHP Partners are organizations committed to improving the efficiency of the U.S. energy infrastructure and reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.

Partners include:

  • CHP project developers, consultants/engineers, and equipment manufacturers
  • Facility owners and managers in the industrial, commercial, district energy, and multi-family residential sectors
  • Clean air officials
  • Energy, environmental, and economic development agencies
  • Utilities
  • Nongovernmental organizations
  • Financiers

View Our Partners.

How does my organization join the CHP Partnership?

If you are interested in joining, please visit Steps to Becoming a Partner.

How do I contact the CHP Partnership?

If you have questions or comments about the Partnership or any of the tools or services that we offer, please e-mail chp@epa.gov or call (703) 373-8108.

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What is CHP?

Typically, nearly two-thirds of the energy used to generate electricity is wasted in the form of heat discharged to the atmosphere. Additional energy is wasted during the distribution of electricity to end users. CHP is on-site electricity generation that captures the heat that would otherwise be wasted to provide useful thermal energy—such as steam or hot water—that can be used for space heating, cooling, domestic hot water and industrial processes. In this way, and by avoiding distribution losses, CHP can achieve efficiencies of over 80 percent, compared to 50 percent for conventional technologies (i.e., grid-supplied electricity and an on-site boiler).

Learn more in Discover CHP.

What are the benefits of CHP?

CHP offers a number of benefits compared to conventional electricity and thermal energy production, including:

  • Efficiency Benefits. CHP requires less fuel to produce a given energy output and avoids transmission and distribution losses that occur when electricity travels over power lines.
  • Environmental Benefits. Because less fuel is burned to produce each unit of energy output and because transmission and distribution losses are avoided, CHP reduces emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
  • Economic Benefits. CHP can save facilities considerable money on their energy bills due to its high efficiency, and it can provide a hedge against electricity cost increases.
  • Reliability Benefits. Unreliable electricity service represents a quantifiable business, safety, and health risk for some companies and organizations. CHP is an on-site generation resource and can be designed to support continued operations in the event of a disaster or grid disruption by continuing to provide reliable electricity.

Learn more in CHP Benefits.

Where does CHP make sense?

CHP is ideally suited for energy users that have both electric and thermal energy demands.

CHP is used in many different types and sizes of facilities nationwide, including:

  • Commercial buildings—office buildings, hotels, health clubs, nursing homes
  • Residential—condominiums, co-ops, apartments, planned communities
  • Institutions—colleges and universities, hospitals, prisons, military bases
  • Municipal—district energy systems, wastewater treatment facilities, K-12 schools
  • Manufacturers—chemical, refining, ethanol, pulp and paper, food processing, glass manufacturing

Learn more in Discover CHP.

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