The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized two companies for innovative new products that recycle waste heat and turn it into usable electricity in homes or small buildings.
The Freewatt micro CHP system made by ECR International and the Ecopower micro CHP system made by Marathon Engine won the 2011 Energy Star Emerging Technology Award.
The technologies are helping residential and small building owners, particularly in the Northeast, produce their own electricity and reduce their utility bills. These technologies capture wasted energy from space or water heaters and turn it into usable electricity from a single fuel source.
Micro combined heat and power (CHP) systems are an emerging technology that can help change how we use and produce energy in our homes. When offsetting purchases of coal-generated electricity in cold climates, this emerging technology–already being widely deployed in Europe–can reduce energy use and curb carbon emissions by 20% to 30%.
Although the technology has been successfully used in larger applications for many years, micro CHP systems have only recently been commercialized for small scale use in residential homes, apartment buildings and small office buildings. T
This year’s winning micro CHP systems meet strict criteria for efficiency, noise, emissions and third party-verified performance. In addition to submitting laboratory test results, products were monitored in the field for a minimum of one year to be eligible for recognition.
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