6.8 Cost of CHP: Engineering and Installation Costs
This section covers important rules-of-thumb and a variety of other important information that you need to consider when quickly assessing a project.
6.8.1 Site Feasibility Screening
Consider CHP if Spark Spread is greater than 3 or if electric demand charges are high and the facility has a decent use for the waste heat. See Spark Spreads in figure 6-3.
Figure 6-3 – Spark Spread
6.8.2 General Equipment and Maintenance Costing
Guidelines for equipment costing are shown in Table 6-2.
| CHP Technology | Reciprocating Engine | Micro Turbine | Gas Turbine | Fuel Cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Size Range | 65 kW - 15 MW | 30 kW - 2000 kW | 1 MW - 50 MW | 200 - 2000 kW |
| Average Installed cost ($/kW) | $ 1,433 - $ 2,900 | $ 2,500 - $4,300 | $ 1,250 - $ 3,300 | $ 4,600 - $ 10,000 |
| Total Average CHP System Efficiency | 78.4% | 66.8% | 69% | 82% |
| O&M Cost ($/kWH) | $ 0.0177 | $ 0.013 | $ 0.0111 | $ 0.040 |