What’s the best way to estimate CHP potential for an industrial client when we only have monthly utility bills and no hourly load profile?
I’m working with a facility that runs three shifts, but they don’t have interval data or sub meters. I’d like to avoid over- or under-sizing the system in the early scoping phase. Any modeling tips or rules of thumb that have worked for others?
That’s a great question and it’s something we hear a lot from facilities exploring CHP for the first time.
Even without hourly data, you can still get a solid preliminary assessment using monthly utility bills, estimated run hours, and typical load patterns. If your facility runs consistent shifts or has steady thermal needs, that’s a strong starting point.
I also recommend reaching out to the DOE’s Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP). These regional teams offer no-cost support to help facilities like yours evaluate onsite technologies, including CHP, even when detailed metering data isn’t available.
There are TAPs across the U.S., so no matter where your facility is located, there’s a team that can assist:
https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/onsite-energy/taps
Thanks for the info. I’ve heard about the TAPs but didn’t realize they could support evaluations even without interval data. I’ll check out the link and see what the regional team covers. Appreciate the recommendation.