Tecogen Receives $530,000 Research Grant for Development of Ultra Clean Emission Control Technology

Tecogen Inc. today announced that the California Energy Commission has granted additional funding to an ongoing program entitled "Engine CHP (Combined Heat and Power) Emission Control Technology."

The primary contractor, DE Solutions of Encinitas, CA, will distribute a total of $530,000 to Tecogen for advanced development and testing of their emission control technology, which includes $90,000 co-funding from Sempra Energy.

The objective of the program is to adapt strategies currently deployed by the automotive industry for use on natural gas engines in CHP applications. These include onboard diagnostics (OBD II), precise air/fuel ratio control, robust 3-way catalysts, and dual oxygen sensors with sophisticated control algorithms for system self-correction and calibration. The goal is to sustain CARB 2007 emission performance on industrial CHP engines without the need for costly Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems or for frequent hand held emission analyzer tests. The system will be based on an engine control technology patented by Tecogen in 2007 (“Method for controlling internal combustion engine emissions,” U.S. Patent number 7,243,017).

“We expect this advanced emission control system to provide Tecogen with an important technological edge in the West Coast CHP market, particularly in Southern California,” explained Tecogen CEO John Hatsopoulos . “Having ultra clean engines has always been our priority, but furthering the technology to ensure long-term reliability and compliance is not only critical to California, but will also boost our market penetration in other regions, such as the Northeast, that also have a very high standard of air emission regulation.”

Tecogen initially began the program in 2007, and has since implemented a field demonstration at a school in Southern California. A second field demonstration, featuring additional technological enhancements, is planned for later this year.

About Tecogen

Tecogen is a leading manufacturer of Combined Heat and Power products including natural gas engine-driven cogeneration and air conditioning systems for industrial and commercial use. Tecogen systems supply electric power or cooling while heat from the engine is recovered and purposefully used at the facility. The benefits are reductions in both energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Tecogen has an installed base of more than 2,000 units supported by an established network of engineering, sales and service personnel across the United States. For more information, please visit www.tecogen.com.