4 Ways CHP Technology Supports Business Continuity Management for Large Businesses in Puerto Rico

Living in Puerto Rico can be fun. Everything’s a celebration. The food is delicious. Music is everywhere. And the tropical beaches are much more attractive than many of its mainland counterparts. 

However, the grass isn’t always greener over there. Island residents are no strangers to regular power outages, despite the fact that the service is pretty costly. And all they can do is sigh and hope that it comes back soon. 

Yet, if you run a business, service interruptions can translate to significant financial losses. Therefore, every single local business enterprise should look into ways to generate energy independently from the grid. Enter combined heat and power technology. 

What Is Combined Heat and Power (CHP)? 

Combined heat and power (also known as cogeneration) is technology that creates energy in a more efficient way. In addition to generating electricity, it also captures the heat that emanates from this process — which can then be used to create steam, thermal energy, and heat water. 

Since CHP generates such substantial amounts of power, it’s an ideal solution to power large-scale operations, such as manufacturing plants, multi-family housing complexes, residential developments, hotels, resorts, college campuses, and airports. 

Combined Heat and Power Capacity in Puerto Rico

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a CHP installation database that contains a comprehensive list of where these technologies are located throughout the country. As of the time of this writing, Puerto Rico has nine cogeneration installations. The following is the breakdown by sector and megawatt (MW) capacity: 

In addition, the DOE has also conducted a market analysis to determine the potential for additional cogeneration installations. Within the hotels and restaurants sector alone, Puerto Rico has over 250 potential sites, while there are almost 200 of them for small and medium manufacturing installations, and just over 100 of them for healthcare. Similarly, there’s capacity for CHP applications for colleges, universities, and large manufacturing operations. 

4 Ways CHP Technology Supports Business Continuity Management

1. Resiliency

You can establish microgrids independent from the island’s main grid. So in the event of one of the island’s many power outages, it continues to generate a high energy supply. So you don’t have to worry about downtime interrupting your business goals. 

2. Versatility

CHP is an attractive method to generate electricity because of its versatility. The systems can be operated with a wide variety of fuels, including Puerto Rico’s most prevalent fuel sources (natural gas and propane). For those who are also concerned about reducing their CO emissions, CHP technologies can be operated with hydrogen.

3. Adaptability

CHP systems can be installed within buildings or set up on their own in a container or engine room. They can also be set up with different types of insulation and low noise emission, depending on type of operations and business needs.

4. Cost Effectiveness

Cogeneration creates thermal energy out of heat that would normally be wasted during the power generation process. Since it produces two types of energy at once, it significantly reduces a business’ operation costs. 

5 Operations That Would Benefit From CHP Technology in Puerto Rico

Any large-scale operation would benefit from combined heat and power technology as part of their business continuity solutions. Some examples of successful projects using these systems include: 

Manufacturing

CHP systems used in manufacturing installations can use the heat harnessed from generating electricity to generate steam, complement industrial boilers, heat water, and fulfill other industrial applications. Added benefits include a decrease in environmental impact. 

Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities 

After Hurricane María, Puerto Rico residents were faced with the inefficient deployment of the military hospital ship, USNS Comfort. While it was fully stocked with much-needed medical capabilities, it took the ship 39 days to arrive at the island. 

To add insult to injury, once it arrived, it spent an additional three weeks offshore. By installing CHP technology, local hospitals would be able to better serve locals regardless of power outages and natural disasters. 

Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry are necessary to sustain life. They are also responsible for substantial amounts of waste. CHP systems can be fueled with biogas — which can be sourced from food waste. In the alternative, the food waste can be transported to landfills, which may have a better capacity to source biogas. 

Agricultural Businesses

Puerto Rico offers tax incentives for companies engaged in agriculture, exempting them from payment of income taxes on 90% of income derived directly from an agro-industrial business. Installing CHP systems in such kinds of businesses significantly reduces the risk of losses and downtime that are usually the result of power outages. 

Resorts and Hotels 

As a tropical island (and as a place that doesn’t require Americans to bring a passport), Puerto Rico is a popular tourist attraction. While it makes sense that resorts and hotels will always experience reduced visitors right after a hurricane, CHP technology allows them to continue providing comfortable accommodations during the other types of power outages. 

2G Energy’s CHP Systems Support Your Energy Needs

2G Energy offers a wide array of CHP solutions that provide from 50 kW to 2,500kW. We also have an extensive portfolio of successful CHP projects in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and have installed over 6,500 systems worldwide. 

Contact us to learn more about how CHP can transform your operations and significantly reduce your energy costs.