Facilities leaders and their teams are in the market for innovative solutions to meet their evolving needs. The recent issue of Facility Executive magazine included a selection of SOLUTIONS 2020, and featured below is the Q&A from that December 2019 article with Lochinvar, a manufacturer of energy efficient water heating solutions. We continued the conversation with a brief podcast, which you can listen to by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
Micro CHP XRGI25
Facility Executive: What is a notable product your company will introduce to facility management professionals in 2020?
Lochinvar: In 2019, Lochinvar partnered with EC POWER to launch a revolutionary cogeneration system in North America, Micro CHP (XRGI25) is already taking off across the country. The XRGI25 is designed to be an efficient and easy to install cogeneration system for light commercial applications. Using an internal combustion, natural gas engine, the XRGI25 produces both hot water for domestic or hydronic applications while simultaneously generating 24kW of electricity. This concept reduces grid dependency and can lower the overall environmental impact of a facility.
This technology has proven its effectiveness throughout Europe with more than 10,000 installations. The XRGI25 is currently providing savings in agricultural, multi-family, academic institutions, and government buildings throughout North America.
Facility Executive: How is this offering relevant to the work of facility management leaders? How will it help them achieve their goals?
Lochinvar: Micro CHP technology is remarkably efficient. It avoids the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses that occur when electricity travels over power lines. The average T&D loss in the U.S. is now about 4.5%, but it can increase to 10% when the grid is burdened and temperatures are high. Organizations that would benefit most from Micro CHP technology have a high hot water load that lasts for extensive periods of time, e.g., hotels, hospitals, colleges, restaurants, and swimming pools. Whether it’s a hotel in San Francisco, a college in upstate New York, or a restaurant in Hawaii, Micro CHP technology can offer dramatic savings. Lochinvar is already seeing multiple installations and immediate savings for colleges like Finger Lakes Community College, as well as unique rural farm applications.
In a follow up interview, Jeff Vallett, segment market manager at Lochinvar, provided further insight into the capabilities of the Micro CHP XRGI25 system and related facilities trends. Click below to listen.
