Tecogen has launched its smart Tecochill Hybrid-Drive Air-Cooled chiller which combines two power sources, natural gas and electric power.
The chiller provides customers up to 50 per cent lower operating costs compared to alternative chillers, as well as dual-power-source resiliency.
When the Hybrid-Drive is powered by the chiller’s integral natural gas engine, it produces chilled water for air-conditioning plus free engine heat that is recovered to produce usable hot water.
Competing solutions are less efficient, have a higher greenhouse gas footprint, have a higher energy operating cost, and require a separate boiler to produce hot water.
The Hybrid-Drive can track inputs from the electric power grid to enable customers to optimize economic savings and/or greenhouse gas reductions.
The Hybrid-Drive can maximize greenhouse gas reductions by using power from the electric grid when the grid incrementally is powered by renewable energy and can switch to engine power when the grid is generating higher greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, when grid power is more expensive during periods of high demand, the Hybrid-Drive can switch to operating on engine power, and then switch back to operating on the grid if prices become lower, enabling customers to optimize operations as electric grid costs and greenhouse gas emissions fluctuate.
The Hybrid-Drive can also rely on engine power in the event of grid power outages, providing cooling for critical process applications when the electric grid is unavailable.
The Hybrid-Drive is expected to be an excellent fit for applications such as controlled environment agriculture (CEA), healthcare, education, chiller rental, and industrial process cooling.
Tecogen CEO, Benjamin Locke, said the hybrid chiller expands their product offering and will deliver significant economic and environmental benefits for customers.