An overview of renewable energy technologies for the simultaneous production of high-performance power and heat

Abstract

Combining heat and power (CHP) technology, which uses renewable energy sources as fuel, will be a promising solution to increase energy security. This report aims to examine CHP technologies based on renewable energy, seek to increase their efficiency and reduce the unsustainable nature of renewable resources, and then examine the existing articles from an economic and technical perspective. Heat and electricity are generated simultaneously in CHP technology; heat is the limiting factor in this issue. Therefore, it should be installed in a place requiring heat and population density because transmission losses are reduced in this case. Among renewable energy sources used as fuel for CHP power plants, biomass has the largest share, and among fossil fuels, natural gas and coal have the largest share in CHP, respectively. The United States, Russia, and China have the largest shares in renewable power plants, respectively. All the articles reviewed mention the need for heat storage for CHP power plants. If regional heating and cooling using CHP technology are used, biomass consumption can be reduced by 31.4% compared to single heating, and this amount can be used more in value-added sectors.