Combined Heat & Power Solution for a Food & Beverage Bottling Plant

Problem

One of our client's in the food and beverage industry ran a bottling plant that operated three shifts per day, 365 days per year. Continuous operation of process machinery and chiller loads generated enormous demand for electricity, which they were purchasing from the local utility company at increasingly growing expense. With their plant already running at maximum capacity, improving business conditions were motivating them to expand operations. Their ideal scenario was to remain in their current location, but they quickly realized their local electricity provider could not meet their power demands.

Solution

At n2 Integrated Energy Solutions, LLC, we worked closely with the client to determine the base and peak load capacity for their planned expansion. We designed and installed a combined heat and power system that incorporated energy efficient reciprocating engines as well as a new absorption chiller driven by the hot water from the water jacket and exhaust gases of the reciprocating engines. This CHP system was so thermally and energy efficient it offset more that 75% of the electricity required for chilled water production.

To make the project financially attractive, we configured the system to meet the criteria of the utility's rebate program for combined heat and power projects, and the excess electricity is sold back to the local utility or other off-taker. Overall, this system resulted in a 40% to 60% increase in efficiency and the company was pleased with their environmentally sound decision to promote renewable green energy for a sustainable future.

For more information about this project or to learn how a combined heat and power system can benefit your plant operations, contact us today.