FLAMINCO

FLAMINCO - A high-efficiency gas microCHP heat pump enabling trigeneration (heating, cooling, electricity) and targeting the residential sector.

FLAMINCO merges 3 technologies in one pathway towards energy decarbonization: gas micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power), heat pumps, and condensing boilers. The solution based on micro-cogeneration, powered with either natural gas or biogas, makes better use of resources than conventional heat pumps and condensing boilers, decreasing the Greenhouse Gases, NOx and CO emissions, increasing the energy conversion rate and efficiency, reducing the gas consumption and canceling the electricity bill for a better global ecological balance.

Climate change and depletion of resources are urging to create new energy models, aiming at reducing the greenhouse gas emission by reaching higher conversion rates, avoiding energy losses, and using resources of lower carbon intensity. Today, heating and cooling small businesses and residential settings represent 25% of the EU’s energy consumption. Condensing boilers and heat pumps are the main options nowadays. If heat pumps have a much better energy efficiency than condensing boilers, they are also more expensive during the initial installation and their exploitation. Indeed, heat pumps are powered with electricity coming from the grid and their efficiency is jeopardized by the higher cost of the electricity in comparison to natural gas. In addition, during wintertime, the efficiency of the heat pump significantly decreases which contributes to a significant increase of electricity consumption. Moreover, the inefficiencies of centralized production (40%) and the losses in transportation (5-10%) contribute to lower the global footprint of heat pumps. FLAMINCO merges 3 technologies in one pathway towards energy decarbonization: gas micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power), heat pumps, and condensing boilers. It can be powered with natural gas, biogas or electricity to deliver up to 135 kWth of reliable and sustainable heat (and sometimes electricity supply) and/or 50 kW of cooling. The technology merges cutting-edge technologies for heating sector, micro CHP, and gas heat pumps, in a versatile technology, reaching efficiencies over 175% and thus saving costs 4,600 €/yr. while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 31%. It is ready to integrate into smart grids and it may decide how to work depending on economic and environmental factors, contributing to a more sustainable energy production