Effects of load-following operational methods on combined heat and power system efficiency

•We presented a hybrid method for operating CHP systems.•The hybrid method either follows the facility thermal or the electric demand.•Excess CHP system electrical or thermal energy is minimized with this method.•We implemented the method for a large hotel building in 16 cities.•The hybrid method results in a higher total CHP system efficiency. Combined heat and power (CHP) systems can be operated in partial loading situations when the maximum electrical and thermal output of the prime mover is not constantly required by the facility. Two basic load-following methods following the thermal load (FTL) and following the electric load (FEL), are compared with a hybrid method which either follows the thermal or the electric demand in a given time period, within a specified operating range, in order to minimize the amount of excess electrical or thermal energy produced by the CHP system. These methods are implemented on an hour by hour basis for a large hotel benchmark building which is modeled in 16 cities located in different climate zones using EnergyPlus building simulation software. The hybrid method results in a higher total CHP system efficiency than either the FTL or FEL methods, with CHP system efficiency values from 71% to 87%. The power-to-heat ratio of the building (PHRb), which describes the relationship between electrical and thermal demand for the given facility, is found to predict the maximum possible CHP system efficiency using the hybrid method on an hourly basis. Buildings with lower PHRb values, corresponding to higher relative thermal demands, have the highest possible CHP system efficiency values. The hybrid operational method is also implemented on a monthly basis, where the building’s average monthly demands are used to set the operating condition of the prime mover for the entire month. The building is then simulated on an hour by hour basis to determine the system’s performance with only monthly changes in the loading conditions. This monthly method produces similar results to the hybrid method when it is implemented on an hourly basis, with CHP system efficiency values from 74% to 86%.