there is a commercially available Stirling engine CHP plant

[solosailor]

I've been reading through some of these posts. Some are quite old
now, but wanted to bring to everyones attention a commercially
available Stirling engine generator/heater.

Check out
www.whispergen.com

I'm planning to put one in to my house, and they are only about 50%
more expensive than a normal gas fired boiler, with the bonus that
they generate power as well.

The have ones for boats, and ones for houses. The boat ones are
outlandishly expensive but can run on biodiesel. The house ones run
on natural gas, but I believe they can modify them to run on other
fuels. (not sure if they can do solid fuel though).

Hope people find this useful

[stan.hornbaker]

Have you inquired as to availability and price? These are being sold only to utility companies for installation under susidized progrms, as I understad it. Have you detemined that you qualify?

Microgen also has a similar CHP unit.When and if sold on the open market they will still be quite pricey!

If you have one installed please come back to report on your experience with it.

PS It is a Stirling, not Stirling, engine.

[solosailor]

I have enquired via the utility company for both the microgen and the whispergen. The whispergen has evidently been tested extensively in houses and small business in the UK in the last 12 months and evidently they are "making some changes" this year, for a release onto the market in January next year. They have told me that the supply and install price is about 3000 pounds (which is about $5000 usd I think). By comparrison a combi boiler (for heating only) is about 1500 pounds. I understand that this will be the purchase price, not the lease price.
I have also enquired about the units for boats which are much smaller. They generate 800 watts to charge a bank of batteries, but also generate heating for the boat (or mobile home or off grid home etc). These are 12000 pounds, but are available now. I fail to see how this price can be justified.

[stan.hornbaker]

"I fail to see how this price can be justified."

Price of most items are dependent on costs of material, labor, and the quantity/number of units ordered. One of a kind, special specs, etc. are to be expected to cost several time that of one unit out of a production run of thousands of units. It come down to being a matter of supply and demand.

Try to imagine the cost of just one automobile, comparable to a 'Rolls' or 'Jag' and no more to be made of that very singular spec & design. It's supply and demand!

[davdbarry]

I had a condensor combi boiler installed a few years ago. It cost well over 2000 pounds.

Maybe they have got a lot cheaper. Maybe whispergens will too!

[mr.mcgoo]

I have worked for Microgen on and off for a couple of years now. Whilst I'm not involved technically with the unit itself, I do know one of the goals of the project is to make it affordable.

I also think that governments may think about subsidising this. This is a hunch and not because of any "inside" knowledge. In the UK there is a debate about what the next generation of power stations need to be to cope with current and future demand. If these CHP's come online in time, then mass take-up may help them to avoid having to build a nuclear power station or two.
The UK government is also trying to cut it's emmissions in line with the Kyoto agreement and if this was taken up properly it could be one of the biggest contributors to that reduction.

[stan.hornbaker]

Your update is most welcome and we hope that a large number of CHP units will be coming online in the near future. Thanks.