cogeneration
noun
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Cogeneration is basically the production of energy and usable heat (generally in the form of steam and hot water) in the same plant, usually by capturing heat that in older plants used to be simply wasted. It's one of the principal ways in which countries intend to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions so as to slow climate change. Cogeneration plants are often small, and the fuels used in them are varied. Lumber mills, for instance, can operate their own cogeneration plants, feeding them with wood scraps and sawdust, and wastewater treatment plants generate gas that can likewise be used as a source of energy. Since it's hard to move heat long distances, cogeneration is most efficient when the heat can be used nearby. Though the general public today knows little about cogeneration, more and more of us will be benefiting from it in the coming years.
Examples of cogeneration in a Sentence
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 26 Mar. 2025
The data includes utility-scale power generation and small-scale generation from technologies like rooftop solar, as well as industrial and commercial cogeneration.
—Nadja Popovich, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Chen’s research included the modeling of electrical loads, the effect of voltage control in energy savings, real-time testing to improve power system efficiency, computer representation of cogeneration systems, reducing efficiency losses in transmission lines, and voltage stability.
—Martha Hurley, IEEE Spectrum, 7 June 2023
In our progress roundup, ingenuity and necessity play their parts: An Oregon community has financed a cogeneration water treatment plant for its growing population, and a Dutch nonprofit is helping refugees in Algeria manufacture sellable goods from the plastic littering their camp.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2022
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Cite this Entry
“Cogeneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cogeneration. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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