CHP Energy and Emissions Savings Calculator

The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Energy and Emissions Savings Calculator is a Microsoft Excel–based tool that calculates and compares the estimated fuel consumption and air pollutant emissions (CO₂e, SO₂, and NO_X) of a CHP system and comparable separate heat and power system (e.g., grid power and a boiler system). The calculator also presents the carbon emissions reductions from a CHP system in terms of the emissions associated with passenger vehicles and the generation of electricity used by the average U.S. home.

The calculator uses fuel-specific emissions factors developed by EPA, grid emissions factors from the AVoided Emissions and geneRation Tool (AVERT) and the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID), and eGRID region-specific transmission and distribution loss data.

The calculator is designed for users with at least a moderate understanding of CHP technology and its terminology. To learn more about CHP technologies, please visit the Catalog of CHP Technologies.

Please refer to the “Getting Started” worksheet and the user manual for detailed instructions and information for using the calculator. If you need help when using the calculator, please contact the EPA CHP team at 703-373-8108 or email chp@epa.gov.

Updates in Version 3.5 (October 2023)

• Incorporates AVERT 4.1 version emission factors (released April 2023)
• Incorporates eGRID 2021 data (released January 2023)
• Updated user manual

Version History

Version 3.4 (April 2022)

• Incorporated AVERT 2021 emission factors (released March 2022)
• Incorporated eGRID 2020 data (released January 2022)
• Updated user manual

Version 3.3 (June 2021)

• Added AVERT 2019 factors. A first-time addition
  • Uniform EE factors identified as the best proxy for CHP operations
• Incorporated eGRID 2019 data
  • Fuel-specific emissions factors and grid emissions factors
  • Region-specific transmission and distribution (T&D) loss data
  • Puerto Rico eGRID factors for the first time.
• Included recommendations on emission factors to choose.