The Potential Impact of Distributed Generation Technologies on Future Energy Use and Carbon Emissions in the United States: Scenario Analysis Using the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS)

摘要

Distributed generation has the potential to dampen future increases in carbon emissions attributable to electric generation, as well as to possibly reduce some of the high costs of upgrading the electric power grid. On-site generation has the advantage of allowing the capture of the "waste" heat from generation, lowering total energy requirements (e.g., combined electric, heating, and water heating energy) compared with remote generation where waste heat is generally emitted directly into the atmosphere. Also, by generating electric power on site, electricity transmission and distribution losses are avoided.