Application of cogeneration and trigeneration systems

Abstract

The improvement in the energy efficiency of a thermoelectric power station and the implementation of cogeneration and trigeneration plants have great potential to mitigate the effects of energy consumption and its impact on the global problem of climate change. Public environmental policies in the Latin American context implement the use of unconventional energy sources through different mechanisms. This research identifies environmental policies focusing on the application of alternative cogeneration and trigeneration systems. To promote the application of these systems, each country presents tax incentives and the generation of programs. In Latin America, the country with the highest participation in cogeneration plants in Brazil, due to government support to eliminate barriers to the sale of surplus energy, and the strengthening of programs such as PROINFA. On the other hand, we have Chile, Peru, and Colombia, in which it shows government barriers to be able to sell the energy surpluses that are generated in cogeneration plants and so far maintain little participation in the generation of electrical energy from unconventional sources. In Colombia, it presents regulatory conditions for the electricity grid, which restricts the participation of “small energy generators.” However, in recent years, there has been greater participation in the energy matrix based on clean energy. The foregoing will allow recognizing the progress of the use of renewable energies in Colombia, specifically of the cogeneration plants, which is an estimated expansion of installed capacity of 314 MW.

Keywords

• Energy
• cogeneration
• trigeneration
• non-conventional renewable energy
• environmental policies