Patent ID: 8280237

Claim:
A cogeneration system comprising: a combined heat and power unit configured to generate electricity and heat; a heat accumulator configured to store a heat medium having recovered the heat generated by the combined heat and power unit; a heat exchanger configured to transfer the heat generated by the combined heat and power unit to the heat medium; a first heat medium passage configured such that the heat is transferred to the heat medium by the heat exchanger and the heat medium flows into the heat accumulator; a heat medium supplier configured to cause the heat medium to flow through the first heat medium passage; a heat supplying passage through which the heat medium stored in the heat accumulator is supplied to the heat load; an electric power consuming heater configured to heat the heat medium flowing through the heat supplying passage toward the heat load by consuming surplus electric power of the combined heat and power unit and commercial electric power; and a second heat medium passage configured such that the heat medium is heated by the electric power consuming heater and flows into the heat accumulator, wherein the heat supplying passage through which the heat medium supplied from the heat accumulator reaches the electric power consuming heater constitutes the second heat medium passage through which the heat medium having passed through the electric power consuming heater reaches the heat accumulator.