Abstract

Dublin City University (DCU) occupies an 85 acre campus that includes the main academic and administrative buildings as well as residence accommodation. The university has a low-pressure hot water (LPHW) heating system fed from a central boiler house and electrical power provided by the ESB. DCU’s electrical and thermal power consumption has sharply increased in the last few years due to rapid expansion, which has lead the university to focus on the high cost of its heating and power bills. An overview of the current technology of the field of combined heat and power is given in this thesis. A review of recent energy bills for the campus and an analysis of trends in heat and power for the past three years is presented. A detailed examination of the energy requirements of the DCU campus, with particular references to the possible role of combined heat and power in supplying these requirements efficiently and cheaply is given. Suggestions are also made for the size of plant suitable for the campus and recommendations given from current market suppliers of CHP equipment.