MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Spencer Abraham has announced a $4.3 million award to Honeywell Laboratories for development of a modular packaged system for large building cooling, heating, and power (BCHP) generation.

The packaged system, according to Honeywell, will use the substantial heat by-product of electricity generation to raise overall system energy efficiency from a typical 30% to 70% or greater.

The manufacturer also says that roughly two-thirds of the fuel energy used to generate electricity in the United States is wasted in the form of discarded heat. Employing small-scale power generation systems close to the point of use — known as distributed energy resources (DER) — facilitates use of this waste to provide cooling, heating, and humidity control.