The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Plants Program is offering four virtual training sessions throughout December that will assist attendees in identifying energy efficiency and decarbonization opportunities, quantify savings from those opportunities, and implement projects to realize the savings. The DOE has helped to identify over $65 million in energy cost savings opportunities through both in-person and virtual training sessions such as these.

The four 2.5-hour sessions will be led by experts that will deliver virtual training on Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems on December 5, 10, 12, and 17, 2024. The sessions consist of two hours of formal training and an optional half-hour Q&A. All U.S. manufacturers are eligible to participate in the training free of charge.

Attendees can expect to learn the fundamentals of CHP systems, CHP project screening, implementation, carbon project accounting, and integration with utility grids. Resources such as software tools will be introduced and case studies that display energy savings, power resilience, and project cost will be discussed.

Each session will have a corresponding homework assignment for attendees to complete prior to the following session. The assignments will ensure participant’s understanding of CHP systems, CHP technologies, best applications of CHP and operational benefits that can be realized through CHP. One-on-one private tutoring with the experts will be available to respond to questions.

Professional Development Hours (PDHs) are available by request following the completion of the four sessions.

Art Samberg and Isaac Panzarella of NCCETC’s Clean Power and Industrial Efficiency program will be presenting in the first and fourth sessions, respectively.

CHP System Virtual Training Agenda

All sessions will be held from 10:00am to 12:30pm Eastern Time (ET).

Session 1 | December 5, 2024 | CHP 101

This session will cover the fundamentals of CHP and give an overview of the concepts and benefits, major components and technologies, and system efficiency calculation methodologies. The session will also include a discussion on how CHP supports decarbonization through increased efficiency and use of renewable and low/no carbon fuels. The session concludes with a presentation of how CHP represents an important option to increase energy resilience.

Session 2 | December 10, 2024 | Alternative Fuels for CHP

Future cost, demand, and supply of hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG) for CHP in 2030, 2040, and 2050 will be forecasted in this session. Case studies will be discussed along with the barriers to alternative fuel development and adoption, and potential solutions to overcome those barriers and realize market potential.

Session 3 | December 12, 2024 | Overview of GHG “Project Accounting” Methodology and Communicating CHP’s Decarbonization Impact

This session will focus on how greenhouse gas (GHG) Protocol Corporate Accounting Standard impacts CHP GHG emissions and organizations’ view of CHP developments, and how it is used with inventory accounting to reflect CHP’s global carbon dioxide impact. The impact of CHP GHG over the next 25 years will be forecasted with a review of the Marginal Emission Model in several regions. The effectiveness of CHP as a decarbonization solution for industries into 2040 and 2050 will also be discussed.

Session 4 | December 17, 2024 | Integrating CHP with Microgrids and Other Renewable Onsite Energy Technologies

The final session will introduce the DOE’s Onsite Energy Program and Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs) along with the benefits of CHP in combination with other onsite energy technologies. Resources will be provided including technology fact sheet series and TAP support.

Click here to register for the virtual training.