Technologies

Distributed energy (DE) technologies consist primarily of energy generation and storage systems placed at or near the point of use. DE provides consumers with greater reliability, adequate power quality, and the possibility to participate in competitive electric power markets. DE also has the potential to mitigate congestion in transmission lines, control price fluctuations, strengthen energy security, and provide greater stability to the electricity grid. The use of DE technologies can lead to lower emissions and, particularly in combined heat and power (CHP) applications, to improved efficiency.

DE encompasses a range of technologies including fuel cells, microturbines, reciprocating engines, load reduction, and energy management technologies. DE also involves power electronic interfaces, communications and control devices for efficient dispatch and operation of single generating units, multiple system packages, and aggregated blocks of power.

The primary fuel for many distributed generation systems is natural gas, but hydrogen may play an important role in the future. Renewable energy technologies—such as solar electricity, solar buildings, biomass power, and wind turbines—are also popular.

Although diesel- and petrol-fueled reciprocating engines are one of the most common DE technologies, especially for standby power applications, they create significant pollution (in terms of both emissions and noise) relative to natural gas- and renewable-fueled technologies, and their use is actively discouraged by many municipal governments. Recently, cleaner gas-fired reciprocating engines have been developed to address these concerns.

Pursue the following links to learn more about:

Power generation using natural gas and renewable energy sources
Energy management, including energy storage and load reduction technologies
Combined heat and power to maximize the efficiency of energy use
Thermally-activated technologies, including absorption chillers and dessicant dehumidifiers.

Read the distributed energy FAQ for more information about the range of DE technologies.