Economic, energy and GHG emissions performance evaluation of a WhisperGen Mk IV Stirling engine μ-CHP unit in a domestic dwelling

• The performance of a Stirling engine MK IV micro-CHP unit was evaluated in a domestic dwelling in Ireland.
• The performance of the micro-CHP was compare to that of a condensing gas boiler.
• The micro-CHP unit resulted in an annual cost saving of €180 compared to the condensing gas boiler.
• Electricity imported from the grid decreased by 20.8% while CO2 emissions decreased by 16.1%.
• The micro-CHP unit used 2889 kW h of gas more than the condensing gas boiler during one year of operation.

This paper presents an assessment of the energy, economic and greenhouse gas emissions performances of a WhisperGen Mk IV Stirling engine μ-CHP unit for use in a conventional house in the Republic of Ireland. The energy performance data used in this study was obtained from a field trial carried out in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the period June 2004–July 2005 by Northern Ireland Electricity and Phoenix Gas working in collaboration with Whispertech UK. A comparative performance analysis between the μ-CHP unit and a condensing gas boiler revealed that the μ-CHP unit resulted in an annual cost saving of €180 with an incremental simple payback period of 13.8 years when compared to a condensing gas boiler. Electricity imported from the grid decreased by 20.8% while CO2 emissions decreased by 16.1%. The μ-CHP unit used 2889 kW h of gas more than the condensing gas boiler.