Heating and Ventilating

Energetix Genlec and E.On have signed a 'head of terms' agreement with a European appliance manufacturer to mass produce micro-chp units for E.ON and the European domestic heating market.
An unnamed global manufacturing giant that produces bicycles and white goods as well as heating goods for the domestic and commercial market, is taking its first steps into the CHP arena but currently does not want its move into this market to be made public.

Energetix's goal of producing Genlec-enabled micro-chip boilers will combine Genlec’s technology and knowledge with the manufacturer’s production capability.

Adrian Hutchings, CEO of Energetix Group plc said: 'This is not someone known in the CHP field. We are not white goods appliance mass producers. E.On have gone out and found a manufacturer who can produce Genlec boilers on a mass scale'.

He added: “This further collaboration again emphasises the strength of the Genlec micro-CHP product which can revolutionise the way we heat and power our homes and helps households to reduce their fuel bills and lower their carbon emissions'.

The firms will work on building prototypes and conducting field trials to establish the best approach to ensure E.ON can deliver Genlec-enabled heating products to their customers. Energetix is currently testing in three countries.

Including the undisclosed manufacturer, Energetix Genlec is collaborating with six firms who between them have access to all the major European markets including the UK, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

These firms are:

-Heating supplier Stiebel Eltron which will integrate the Genlec micro-CHP unit into a boiler for the European domestic heating market,

-Dutch firm Daalderop BV,

-E.On

-Two unnamed boiler manufacturers.

Energetix plans to launched its product in Europe in 2009 and in the UK by the end of 2009.

Energetix's latest move follows Energetix's existing agreement with E.ON, signed in January 2008, to develop the Genlec micro-CHP unit for UK homes.

The first micro CHP units will be available domestically in the UK from next year. British Gas plans to distribute the micro CHP boiler- the Ecogen, from June 2009. CHP specialist WhisperGen has set up a joint venture with Spanish firm Mondragon Corporation and Meridian Energy with production due to start in January 2009. Both the WhisperGen and Baxi systems are stirling engines producing between 6kWh and 10kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity.

The two main types of domestic micro CHP are stirling engines and fuel cells, and Ceres Power is planning to launch a fuel cell system with British Gas in 2011.