Editing Distributed generation (section)

=== Cogeneration ===

Distributed [[cogeneration]] sources use steam turbines, natural gas-fired [[fuel cell]]s, [[microturbine]]s or [[reciprocating engine]]s<ref>[http://www.clarke-energy.com/chp-cogeneration/ Gas engine cogeneration], http://www.clarke-energy.com, retrieved 9.12.2013</ref> to turn generators. The hot exhaust is then used for space or [[water heating]], or to drive an [[absorptive chiller]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buderus.de/Ueber_uns/Presse/Fachpresse/Anlagen_zur_Kraft_Waerme_Kopplung/Heiss_auf_kalt-2119341.html|title=Heiß auf kalt|access-date=15 May 2015|archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518102403/http://www.buderus.de/Ueber_uns/Presse/Fachpresse/Anlagen_zur_Kraft_Waerme_Kopplung/Heiss_auf_kalt-2119341.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.clarke-energy.com/gas-engines/trigeneration/ Trigeneration with gas engines], http://www.clarke-energy.com, retrieved 9.12.2013</ref> for cooling such as [[air-conditioning]]. In addition to natural gas-based schemes, distributed energy projects can also include other renewable or low carbon fuels including biofuels, [[biogas]], [[landfill gas]], [[sewage gas]], [[coal bed methane]], [[syngas]] and [[associated petroleum gas]].<ref>[http://www.clarke-energy.com/gas-engines/ Gas engine applications], [http://www.clarke-energy.com], retrieved 9 December 2013</ref>

Delta-ee consultants stated in 2013 that with 64% of global sales, the fuel cell [[micro combined heat and power]] passed the conventional systems in sales in 2012.<ref>{{cite report|url = http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/1889744/fct_review_2013.pdf |title= The fuel cell industry review 2013|publisher = FuelCellToday.com|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131007223834/http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/1889744/fct_review_2013.pdf|archivedate = 7 October 2013}}</ref> 20.000 units were sold in [[Japan]] in 2012 overall within the Ene Farm project. With a [[Service life|Lifetime]] of around 60,000 hours for [[proton-exchange membrane fuel cell|PEM fuel cell]] units, which shut down at night, this equates to an estimated lifetime of between ten and fifteen years.<ref name="fuelcelltoday.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/analysis/analyst-views/2013/13-02-27-latest-developments-in-the-ene-farm-scheme|title=Latest Developments in the Ene-Farm Scheme|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref> For a price of $22,600 before installation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/2013/01/en130117-5/en130117-5.html |title=Launch of New 'Ene-Farm' Home Fuel Cell Product More Affordable and Easier to Install – Headquarters News – Panasonic Newsroom Global|access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref> For 2013 a state subsidy for 50,000 units is in place.<ref name="fuelcelltoday.com"/>

In addition, [[molten carbonate fuel cell]] and [[solid oxide fuel cell]]s using natural gas, such as the ones from [[FuelCell Energy]] and the [[Bloom energy server]], or waste-to-energy processes such as the Gate 5 Energy System are used as a distributed energy resource.