The decentralized energy production designates the production (and/or more accurately the transformation) of energy in spatial proximity to the consumer. Depending upon kind of the transformation the energy can be available in different forms:

• as mechanical energy
• as thermal energy (warmth or cold weather)
• or as electricity (electric current).

Since the very most consumers have a relatively small power requirement, the appropriate plants are many smaller than the momentarily prevailing large-scale installations such as coal-fired power stations, nuclear power stations or also wind parks.

Advantages

Decentralized energy production has the advantage that with thermal engines both mechanical and thermal energy can be used, which leads to a high overall efficiency. Thermal engines have in practice an electrical efficiency of approx. 30-40%, i.e. this portion of the primary energy (fuel) is converted into electricity, while the remainder develops only as warmth. With central thermal engines (atomic, charring, oil and [ground connection] gas-fired power stations) this is usually derived as waste heat into air or into rivers, is thus not used. Isolated the warmth is used by long-distance heating, these constitutes often however only a small part of the waste heat of a power station the available. Contrary to electricity warmth can be distributed only over very short distances (about ten km) economically.

During the decentralized energy production the waste heat can be used for heating houses and industrial plants. The utilization of the energy (overall efficiency) rises here up to approximately 80-90%, at least during the winter months, even if the heating is really needed.

A further advantage of the decentralized energy production is being void long transmission paths for river, so that fewer losses result.

Virtual power station

In order to ensure a high supply security, one knows many decentralized Kleinst power stations, how Blockheizkraftwerke, central to e.g. steer. In a virtual power station in such a way specified different energy producers can be combined.

While the distributed network for electricity precipitates by decentralized power supply smaller, the distributed network for the primary energy carriers (for instance oil or gas) must be removed, become except it locally available sources of energy (hogged wood, fermentation gas) or wind and sun the energy production used.

Further aspects

Isolated plants, i.e. remote places, which are not attached to public electricity mains, fall naturally under the definition of the decentralized energy production.

In the future is to be counted on an increased use of gas cells within the range of the decentralized energy production, since these higher electrical efficiencies have than thermal engines.

Articles in category "Decentralized energy production"

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