How much space is required for a microgrid and related cogeneration equipment?
Unison Energy’s microgrid systems are containerized to minimize on-site installation costs and provide uniformity of design; all major equipment including engine/generator, thermal recovery and conversion, related pumps, controllers, and switchgear, and all ancillary equipment is placed inside a container that is roughly the size of an ISO shipping container. A 45’ x 10’ footprint is a conservative estimate for a single CHP solution; solar and storage solutions require more space. If space is tight at a facility, Unison strongly suggests that a CHP economic analysis is done so as to determine projected savings. With that, our customers can do an internal cost/benefit analysis, taking into account savings versus “making room” for the equipment, i.e. the higher the savings, the more on-site space that can be “found.” When considering kWh generation density per square feet, CHP is often more land/rooftop resource-effective while also producing the energy redundancy that many C&I customers require of their on-site energy systems. While most cogeneration systems can be installed indoors, many municipalities, including the City of New York, have yet to permit storage systems for indoor locations because of the potential fire hazard.