New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio sent out a desperate tweet on June 30 as a heatwave blanketed the area.
“We need New Yorkers to take IMMEDIATE action: reduce your use of electricity in your home or your business for the rest of the day. We need to avoid energy disruptions during this heat emergency,” the mayor pleaded.
People everywhere can expect messages like this as electricity usage rises and breakdowns in the electrical grid become more common. Extreme weather and widespread adoption of electric vehicles will add even more load in the coming years.
One solution is for buildings to create their own energy.
We’re not talking about emergency generators but about stable onsite systems that work 24/7 to provide combined cooling, heat, and power — called CCHP in the industry.
An Israeli company, TurboGen, has introduced efficient, relatively small and lightweight, easy-to-maintain microturbines that simultaneously generate electricity, heat, and cooling.
The microturbines can replace traditional boilers and air conditioners in multifamily residential buildings, public buildings, hotels, hospitals, and offices.
Based on proprietary jet-propulsion technology developed at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, TurboGen microturbines make CCHP from natural gas. In the future, they could be powered by renewable solar, biogas, and hydrogen fuels says CEO Yaron Gilboa.