Distributed Generation: Benefits and Barriers

Authors

  • John Andrepont Vice President—Product and Business Development Thermal Technologies, Inc. (a Trigen Energy Corporation subsidiary)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/dgaej2156-3306.1544

Abstract

Distributed generation configured as combined heat and power
(CHP)/district energy systems, if implemented widely, will provide sub-
stantial improvements in energy efficiency and dramatic reductions in
emissions of pollutants including greenhouse gases (notably carbon diox-
ide, the major contributor to global climate change). These efficiency and
emission benefits will not cause economic belt-tightening and, in fact, can
be obtained while capturing economic benefits for energy consumers.
However, the realization of the full potential of the benefits, and
doing so in a timely manner, requires that existing institutional barriers
are recognized and effectively eliminated[1].
Distributed generation can take a variety of forms, utilizing diverse
technologies and being deployed in a very wide range of capacities.
There is also a broad range of costs associated with the different tech-
nologies. And while some technologies are still undergoing extensive
technological development, other technologies are relatively mature, ex-
hibiting an extensive past history of successful implementation. In this
article, distributed generation is described solely from the perspective of
a developer/owner/operator of dozens of CHP/district energy systems,
which in fact represent one of the distinct technologies employed as dis-
tributed generation.

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Author Biography

John Andrepont, Vice President—Product and Business Development Thermal Technologies, Inc. (a Trigen Energy Corporation subsidiary)

John Andrepont is vice president for product and business devel-
opment at Thermal Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Trigen Energy Corporation, the leading owner/operator of district en-
ergy/combined heat and power systems in North America. He is re-
sponsible for the commercialization of a patented, low-temperature,
thermal stratification fluid. In addition to providing technical support
for cooling services at Trigen’s existing district energy systems through-
out North America, John performed a leading role in the development
of Trigen’s new district cooling systems which began serving Cincinnati,
Ohio, in 1997 and Orlando, Florida, in 1999. From the mid-1970s through
the mid-1990s, he held a series of positions with Chicago Bridge & Iron
Company (CB&I) where he was personally involved in dozens of ther-
mal energy storage (TES) projects, many applied to district cooling sys-
tems, as well as to industrial and power generation applications. During
his 25-year career, he has worked throughout North America and inter-
nationally, in South America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific re-
gion.
1827 Wehrli Road, Suite 105, Naperville, Illinois 60565 USA; phone:
630-357-2666; fax: 630-527-2349; e-mail: jandrepo@trigen.com

References

Casten, Thomas R., Turning Off the Heat , Prometheus Books,

Amherst, New York, 1998.

Trigen Energy Corporation 1998 Annual Report, White Plains, New

York, 1999.

Trigen Pipeline, Volume 6, Issue 2, White Plains, New York, 1999.

Andrepont, John S., “An Alternative Medium for Thermally Strati-

fied Thermal Energy Storage (TES),” Proceedings of the IDEA An-

nual College Conference, International District Energy Association,

Washington, DC, February, 1998.

Di Tullio, Lynn B., Trigen-Ewing Power, Inc., Turners Falls, Massa-

chusetts, personal communication, 1998

Caughman, Gerald W., Trigen-BioPower, Inc., Charlotte, North

Carolina, personal communication, 1998

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Published

2000-10-15

How to Cite

Andrepont, J. . (2000). Distributed Generation: Benefits and Barriers. Distributed Generation &Amp; Alternative Energy Journal, 15(4), 24–40. https://doi.org/10.13052/dgaej2156-3306.1544

Issue

2000: Vol 15 Iss 4

Section

Articles