Cogeneration or CHP (Co-Heating & Power) is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, using the same fuel for both uses. The CHP aims for a more efficient use of primary energy, allowing significant savings in energy bills. The main condition for the construction of cogeneration plants is the presence of users requiring simultaneous electrical and thermal energy. In this way, CHP achieves a very high efficiency and this allows you to:

• save primary energy
• protect the environment
• reduce emissions of CO₂
• lower costs

Current European Directives recognize a number of economic benefits to CHP:

• the opportunity to get the Energy Efficiency Certificates (White Certificates) in the case where the system is realized by distributors of electricity and gas, energy service companies or individuals with energy managers
• excise tax of natural gas used for cogeneration;
• the ability to access the service of "net metering" for power ratings up to 200 kW;
• precedence, in the dispatching of electricity produced from cogeneration compared to that produced by conventional sources;

ENTALPIA Engineering designs and builds cogeneration plants powered by either natural gas or renewables. The main technologies used for cogeneration plants in which we are able to operate are:

• Combustion engines
• Steam turbines
• Turbogas
• Cycles ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle)
• Combined cycles

CHP is widely used in industry, where the heat is generally produced at relatively high temperature and pressure and is used in the form of steam, superheated/hot water or hot air for various industrial process. The electricity, which can count on an extensive distribution network, is totally self-consumed, or the surplus, fed into the grid.
Cogeneration is also used in the civilian sphere: the privileged users are those characterized by a fairly constant demand for thermal energy and electricity.

Trigeneration is a special case of CHP where the thermal energy is used, in whole or in part, to produce chilled water for air conditioning or industrial processes. The exploitation of the useful heat produced by the cogeneration plant for cooling allows maximum utilization of thermal energy, making it convenient to use the plant for a greater number of hours per year.
District heating is the distribution of hot water, steam or chilled water produced by a central boiler or a cogeneration plant through a wide network of pipes. The use of a teleheating network allows for a rational use of energy sources because the central connected to it provides a constant thermal power, thus avoiding the fluctuations due to changes in demand and emissions are more controlled, helping to improve air quality.

Several areas are potentially suitable for use in cogeneration systems:

• pasta factories
• greenhouses
• papermills
• cement factories
• pharmaceutical
• plastic molding
• wood
• refineries
• distilleries
• sports centers
• shopping centers
• hotel facilities
• hospitals
• residential