FAQs
Q: Why is it called Micro-CHP?
A: CHP is short for Combined Heat and Power, which is another term for cogeneration. CHP has been widely practiced on an industrial scale for many years. The term Micro-CHP is an industry term used to categorize smaller CHP systems, which are typically smaller than about 10 kilowatts electric power output. What is new is being able to do combined heat and power on a small-scale for an individual home.
Q: Is the technology proven?
A: Yes. Most of the components in the freewatt system have proven themselves in tens of thousands of conventional heating systems. The power generation components have been at work in over fifty thousand homes in Japan.
Q: What type of engine is used to create the electricity?
A: The freewatt system includes an electronically controlled, high-endurance, low emissions, single cylinder, liquid cooled, internal combustion engine, running on natural gas. The engine was developed by Honda especially for this product and is the most advanced small engine technology in the world today.
Q: Does the system produce enough heat to heat my entire home?
A: Yes, always, even on the coldest days. Our auxiliary burners provide the extra push needed on very cold days.
Q: Does this mean I can disconnect from the electric grid?
A: No. The freewatt system works together with the electric grid to supply electricity to your home. It only runs when the there is a need for heat. In states like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine, any excess power produced spins the electric meter backwards for credit later in the day when the electric power demand in the home rises above the output of the freewatt System.
Q: The capacity of the generator is only 1.2 kW? Is that really enough?
A: Yes. The yearly average continuous electric power demand in homes is just about 1 kilowatt. Under most net metering arrangements, there would be little or no value for any power produced in a particular month that is in excess of actual monthly usage. The system is sized so as not to exceed the typical monthly power usage during the winter months when the system is expected to run continuously based on heat demand.
Q: Will the system run if there is a power outage?
A: The freewatt product is configured for cost savings, energy conservation, and environmental value, but will shut off if the grid goes down and automatically restart once grid power is restored. Your freewatt dealer can provide you with options for keeping heat and power on at your home if there is a grid outage and this is of concern to you. If the future, the freewatt product will be offered in versions that can operate during a grid outage.
Q: Is it good for the environment?
A: Yes. freewatt is highly energy efficient and results in significantly reduced emissions compared to conventional heating appliances and grid supplied electricity.
Q: How does it reduce green house gas emissions?
A: First, the electric power is generated with 83-90 percent efficient Honda MCHP technology, which reduces the amount of fuel needed to generate electricity. Central power plants average about 35 percent efficiency. Second the fuel that is burned is burned more cleanly. Overall, the system is expected to produce only one-third to one-half as much harmful carbon dioxide emissions as compared with today's typical power plants.
Q: How does the combined heat and power system operate?
A: When there is demand for heat in the home the system runs, burning natural gas as the energy source. First the heat energy is used to produce electricity and then it is used to heat the home. The freewatt system combines Honda's MCHP engine-generator technology with today's most efficient gas heating technology for unrivaled total energy efficiency in combined heat and power delivery. This provides a total energy efficiency that the conventional arrangement of separate space heating and grid-supplied electric power cannot approach.
Q: How much power and heat does it generate?
A: When the freewatt system is running, 1,200 watts of electric power are produced. Over the year, a unit will generate about 4,000 to 5,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in a typical northern home. This equals most of the needed electric power in the winter and about half of the annual electric need. Heating output will be sized to match the heat requirement for the specific home, just like a typical home furnace or boiler installation.
Q: What fuel does the system use?
A: Natural gas. Future systems will also be able to use propane.
Q: How quiet is the system?
A: The unit is very quiet, similar to a quiet refrigerator, and substantially quieter than a conventional natural gas furnace. The noise specification is 47 dB(A) at 3 feet. With a typical installation in the basement, it is unlikely to be noticed in the living spaces.
Q: Will it heat my house as well as my existing furnace or boiler?
A: Yes. In fact, thermal comfort will improve since the near-constant supply of low level heat provided by the system helps avoid temperature swings.
Q: What are the maintenance requirements?
A: On the heating side, the required service is the same as for any similar residential furnace or boiler system. On the engine-generator side, every 6,000 operating hours, (about every one and a half to two years) a regular maintenance service call will be needed to change the oil, filters, and spark plug and perform routine adjustments. This will be handled by the freewatt dealer and should take about an hour. At the same time the system will get a complete check over, something that is now increasingly recommended for any fuel burning home heating system.
Q: Does this system make sense if I have an emergency generator already installed in my home?
A: Absolutely. The emergency generator is just that: for emergency use only. It may have high kilowatt power output, much more than a freewatt system, but is designed to run for only a few hundred hours. Plus it does not produce any useful heat. The freewatt system is designed to run continuously and quietly to provide heat and power for thousands of hours.
Q: Can I add this to my existing furnace or boiler?
A: No. There are just too many code, safety, and installation issues in trying to add a Freewatt system to an existing heating system that was not designed to work with power generation. However, changing over to a freewatt system can be done when there is a need or desire to replace the existing furnace or boiler. Of course, a freewatt system can also be installed in a new home under construction.
Q: What other special capabilities does the product have?
A: With the freewatt system, we are introducing the Internet connected home energy system. Our system is microcomputer-controlled, and its owners, service providers, and installers will be able to communicate securely with the system over the Internet through a web based interface. This feature has a number of convenience, reliability, and security advantages. The microcomputer continually monitors the system performance and integrity. If a problem is detected within the system, the owner and the service company will be alerted automatically.
|
