Trigeneration is an energy and power production technology that takes Cogeneration an extra step.
While Cogeneration - also known as combined heat and power (CHP) - is the simultaneous production of electricity and useful heat (usually in the form of either hot water or steam, from one primary fuel such as natural gas), Trigeneration is the simultaneous production of three useful energies.
Trigeneration produces heat and power as well as chilled water for air conditioning or for process use with the addition of absorption chillers that take the waste heat from Cogeneration to make chilled water for cooling a building.
Trigeneration permits even greater operational flexibility for businesses with demands for heating as well as cooling. Just as a Cogeneration power plant captures and makes use of the waste heat, absorption chillers capture the waste (or rejected) heat and use it to produce chilled water.
When installed onsite efficiencies from Trigeneration systems can exceed 90 per cent.
