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14.04.2005

Heating - cooling - electricity

On Sunday, 17 April 2005, Stadtwerke Gießen AG (SWG) will open the doors of its combined heat and power plant at Leihgesterner Weg 127 in Gießen for an open day. What is district heating and how does a combined heat and power plant work? The municipal utilities will provide answers to these questions during guided tours of the combined heat and power plant. In August 2003, Stadtwerke and the University Hospital founded Heizkraftwerk Gießen GmbH (HKW). SWG produces electricity and heat in the CHP plant - using the principle of combined heat and power generation, the term used to describe the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat in one plant. Gas turbines drive generators to produce electricity. This produces heat, which can be used for district heating or cooling. Water is generally used as the heat transfer medium for heat supply. The water reaches the consumers via a pipework system. Radiators or heat exchangers emit the heat for heating or heat the domestic hot water. The cooled water then flows back to the CHP plant. There, SWG heats the water again to supply other households with heat. SWG will explain to visitors which systems, from gas turbines and circulation pumps to various boilers, are required to operate a combined heat and power plant and ensure a successful heat supply. With its heating, cooling and hot water products, Stadtwerke not only supplies Giessen University Hospital, but also private households.