FAQ (CHP)
Q: Can I buy a Cleanergy CHP engine for my home?
A: Our CHP engine is currently not available as a consumer end product.
Q: Is the CHP engine available for use with wood gas?
A: Basically, the CHP gas engine is available for use with any flammable gas, as long as the levels of pollutants are not exceeding allowed levels. Installed together with wood gasification equipment, the engine can also be used with wood as fuel.
Q: I am interested in marketing Cleanergy´s CHP engine in my country, who do I contact?
A: Cleanergy is interested in developing dealership relationships in Europe and elsewhere, please send a letter of introduction to gas@cleanergy.com.
Q: I need power and heat at a remote location with no access to an electrical grid, can I use the Cleanergy CHP engine?
A: Yes, the CHP engine can be delivered with a supplementary off-grid cabinet for use at locations where no electrical grid is available.
Q: I don´t need all the thermal power being produced by the CHP engine, can it be reduced?
A: Yes, the cooling system of the CHP engine can be converted to reduce the thermal power production of the engine by some 20%.
Q: How can the Cleanergy CHP engine´s electrical power production be maximized?
A: By using differences in temperature between the expansion and compression cylinders, a Stirling engine can benefit greatly from being properly cooled. In other words, by providing an installation with a low temperature cooling water the electrical power output can be optimized. Using cold cooling water also enables a decrease in working gas pressure leading to prolonged service intervals and diminished wear damages.
Q: How do I find more details about whether the Cleanergy CHP engine is a feasible opportunity at my biogas/ natural gas installation?
A: Please refer to our Gas module specification for additional details, and contact us directly for more information.
FAQ (Solar Stirling)
Q: I would like to set up a solar Stirling unit on my land. What are the technical requirements for a single solar Stirling dish?
A: The Cleanergy solar dish is optimized to be installed in large numbers forming a utility size solar park where the produced electricity is fed to the grid. Therefore, today, it is not possible to install single unit for home use or other use disconnected from the grid. It is, however, part of our development plan and we will post information on this web site as soon as we offer such a solution.
Q: How much does one solar Stirling unit cost?
A: We do not sell single units at this time, only large scale installations where the Stirling engine is one part of a complete system delivery. The cost for building such a utility scale solar power plant is not a list price. It is subject to a number of variables such as scope of delivery, location, timing etc.
Q: Can I buy a smaller size of solar Stirling engine?
A: Cleanergy develops and manufactures a 10 kWel solar Stirling engine. Currently, no other sizes are available for sale.
Q: Can I buy just the engine and not the concentrator and tracking system?
A: The Stirling engine, dish, tracking system and park control system are integrated on many levels and one of them cannot easily be excluded or replaced by another component not developed by, or in cooperation with Cleanergy. For this reason we do not sell the solar engine without a concentrator and tracking system developed or approved by Cleanergy.
FAQ (General Questions)
Q: Can the CHP engine be used to produce electricity and heat from a hot steam, waste heat or hot exhaust gases?
A: The Stirling engine needs a heat source providing temperatures of at least 700 degrees C. Provided your heat source can deliver steady access to steam or exhaust gas temperatures of that kind it would be possible to use the engine as a basis for an adapted power unit. Please contact us for a more detailed discussion.
Q: Is the CHP engine available for use with a wood chips burner or any other type of solid biomass fuel?
A: Partners to Cleanergy are investigating conversion of the CHP engine for use with a wood chips burner or wood gas. There is however as of today no commercially available product.
Q: What heat temperature is needed to power the Stirling engine?
A: The temperature should be at least 700°C in order to have full functionality.
Q: Can I buy a Stirling engine without the connected generator?
A: No, the generator is an integrated part of the engine design and the engine is not delivered without it.