The Efficient Use of Natural Gas in Cogeneration Applications for Small Consumers

Currently, the natural gas still has a very high use in small households not only for cooking but also for heating and hot water. The most common solution to provide utilities for small consumers is the gas boiler and electricity from public network. The paper presents an analysis of the use of micro cogeneration in small households for increasing the energy efficiency in the use of natural gas. Two micro cogeneration systems were considered for analysis: the first with Stirling engine and the second with fuel cells. The case of reference is a small household with gas boiler and electricity from public network. The reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the payback period of investment are highlighted in the case of the two micro cogeneration systems compared to the existing situation. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.