gar
Senior Member
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Occupation
- EE
150408-1139 EDT
My energy cost for last year was:
$ 0.162 / kWh for electricity.
$ 0.847 / CCF for natural gas.
There are 29.31 kWh per 1 CCF.
Cost of natural gas in kWh is:
$ 0.0289 / kWh . This is a cost ratio of 5.54 to 1 in favor of gas.
A 5 kW generator is adequate for emergency purposes. I have a shop load of about 1.5 to 2.0 kW. Suppose this load can be provided at 20% efficiency. This would put a generator on a par with the power company. Next use a heat exchanger to recover some of the exhaust gas heat.
Thus, total energy would be reduced. But there is a capital cost and durability to consider. However, the capital cost may not exist if one wants a similar gererator for emergency purposes.
If the engine generator efficiency could be increased, and that maybe possible, then there could be a substantial gain.
.
My energy cost for last year was:
$ 0.162 / kWh for electricity.
$ 0.847 / CCF for natural gas.
There are 29.31 kWh per 1 CCF.
Cost of natural gas in kWh is:
$ 0.0289 / kWh . This is a cost ratio of 5.54 to 1 in favor of gas.
A 5 kW generator is adequate for emergency purposes. I have a shop load of about 1.5 to 2.0 kW. Suppose this load can be provided at 20% efficiency. This would put a generator on a par with the power company. Next use a heat exchanger to recover some of the exhaust gas heat.
Thus, total energy would be reduced. But there is a capital cost and durability to consider. However, the capital cost may not exist if one wants a similar gererator for emergency purposes.
If the engine generator efficiency could be increased, and that maybe possible, then there could be a substantial gain.
.
