Distributed Technology Comparative Analysis
| Microturbines | Combustion Turbines | Reciprocating Engines | Photovoltaic Systems | Wind Turbines | Fuel Cells* | Hydro | |
| Size Range (kW) | 25 – 500 | 200 – 230,000 | 1 – 10,000 | <1 – 100 | 0.2 – 5000 | 100 – 400 | 100 – 805,000 |
| Fuel | natural gas, hydrogen, propane, diesel | natural gas, liquid fuels | natural gas, diesel, landfill gas, digester gas | Sunlight | Wind | natural gas, hydrogen, landfill gas, digester gas | Water |
| Average Efficiency | 28% | 27.40% | 34.50% | 12.50% | 30% | 50% | 75% |
| Combined Heat and Power Efficiency | X | X | X | NA | NA | X | NA |
| Average Installed Cost ($/kW) | 950 – 1,700 | 736 | 2,170 | 3,705 | 1,895 | 7,648 | 2,294 |
| Average Heat Rate (Btu per kWh) | 12,200 | 12,417 | 9,889 | NA | NA | 7,693 | NA |
| Average O&M Cost ($/kWh) | 0.014 | 0.024 | 0.025 | 0.002 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.02 |
| Average Nox Emissions (lb/kWh) (1) | 0.00026 | 0.000748 | 0.00007 | 0 | 0 | 0.00001 | 0 |
| Average CO2 Emissions (lb/kWh) (1) | 1.573666667 | 1.3638 | 1.1396 | 0 | 0 | 0.5075 | 0 |
(1) Nationwide utility averages for emissions from generating plants are 0.005 lb/kWh of NOx and 1.2 lb/kWh of CO2.
Although the electric conversion efficiency of the prime mover does not change, CHP significantly improves the fuel utilization efficiency of a DG system with some efficiencies up to 89 percent.
*Fuel cells using hydrogen generated from renewable resources are emission free and offer superior efficiency when used in combined heat and power applications.
Federal Emergency Management Plan: Regional Reliability Plan for Mission Critical Facilities in Southwestrn Connecticut (2009), Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc.
California distributed energy resource guide
UTC Power
FuelCell Energy, Inc