LONDON, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- British motorsport specialist, Prodrive, is helping to create the latest generation of household heating and power by working with energy specialist, Disenco Energy Plc, to bring its micro combined heat and power (mCHP) unit to the domestic market.
Micro CHPs are not only more efficient than current domestic boilers, but they also generate electricity, which, when not being used by a household, could be sold back to the national grid.
The Disenco mCHP generates 15 kW of heat and 3 kW of electricity. It is also more than 90 percent efficient converting 70-80 percent of the available energy in natural gas for central heating and between 10 and 25 per cent into electricity. This can reduce an average home's carbon emissions by between two and six tonnes per year, while saving up to 30 per cent on the household fuel bill too.
The mCHP generates electricity by using what would normally be waste heat to drive a sterling engine. Sterling engines are not new technology, indeed this external combustion engine principle was invented in the 19th century to drive large machinery. However, the advent of the internal combustion engine, as found in cars, soon led to its demise.
Prodrive is using its experience of working with high technology materials like ceramics, precious metals and composites to develop a compact sterling engine for mCHP. David Hemmings, Prodrive chief engineer, said: "The first sterling engines were the size of a house and used to drive machinery in factories in Victorian times. Developing a compact unit which is efficient and cost effective, while operating at temperatures exceeding 600oC, has meant using new materials, many of which are only found in the motorsport and aerospace industries."
It is currently estimated that such mCHPs in homes and businesses could ultimately generate up to 20 GW of the UK's energy demands, which is equivalent to the UK's existing nuclear capacity. They are also far more efficient than centrally producing energy through power stations and more flexible too as energy is generated at the point of demand in the home, rather than through power stations, where the overall efficiency can be just 45 percent, compared to the 90 percent for a mCHP.
Simon Ambler, chief executive of Disenco, said: "You wouldn't normally imagine that one of the world's leading motorsport businesses could help develop technology to replace your boiler at home. However, British motorsport is at the cutting edge of so many new technologies that it is in fact the perfect environment to rapidly commercialise this exciting technology."
About Prodrive:
Prodrive is the world's leading independent motorsport business, running race and rally programmes for Aston Martin Racing and the Subaru World Rally Team. In 2008 it will also enter Formula One.
About Disenco:
Disenco Energy Plc, based in Sheffield, England, is developing a revolutionary Home Power Plant in the form of a micro Combined Heat and Power unit (mCHP). Disenco's mCHP generates heat and electricity at efficiency levels of over 90%, reduces consumer costs and could create independence from the National Grid. The system generates 15kW heat and 3kW electrical power and is expected to reduce the average home's annual carbon emissions by 2-6 tonnes.
Disenco has achieved GAD approval and is running successful field trials at present with the Carbon Trust as well as actively marketing the technology to potential utility partners in the UK. Disenco recently listed on the TSXVenture Exchange in Toronto, Canada.