CG: n
CT: In the UK, microgeneration is defined as the generation of electricity of up to 50 kW and/or heat of up to 45 kW from a low-carbon source and includes the following technologies:
- electricity: solar photovoltaics (PV), micro-wind, micro-hydro, micro-CHP and fuel cells;
- heat: solar thermal, air source heat pumps (ASHP), ground source heat pumps (GSHP), water source heat pumps (WSHP), biomass stoves and boilers.
This scale of generation is suitable for installation in domestic and non-domestic buildings, including offices, schools, shops, hotels and factories.
S: SD – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/microgeneration (last access: 21 January 2025).
N: 1. From “micro–” (word-forming element meaning “small, microscopic; magnifying; one millionth,” from Latinized comb. form of Greek mikros “small, little, petty, trivial, slight”) and “generation” (noun; early 14c., “body of individuals born about the same period” -historically 30 years but in other uses as few as 17-, on the notion of “descendants at the same stage in the line of descent,” from Old French generacion “race, people, species; progeny, offspring; act of procreating” -12c., Modern French génération- and directly from Latin generationem, nominative generatio, “generating, generation,” noun of action from past-participle stem of generare “bring forth, beget, produce,” from genus “race, kind”, from PIE root *gene- “give birth, beget,” with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups).
From late 14c. as “act or process of procreation; process of being formed; state of being procreated; reproduction; sexual intercourse;” also “that which is produced, fruit, crop; children; descendants, offspring of the same parent.”
2. Small-scale generation of heat and power designed to suit the needs of communities, businesses, or residences. Microgeneration relies on power produced at a generation facility that is smaller than an industrial-scale power plant that serves a city or region.
3. Microgeneration uses a variety of technologies. In addition to a connection to a country’s electrical grid (electrical power distribution network), if applicable, there must be a power plant and infrastructure for the storage and conversion of energy. The energy-storage apparatus is necessary for efficiency and to make surplus energy available when the demand is greater than the supply being generated. Battery storage is a common solution, but hydrogen fuel cells, flywheel energy storage, and pumped hydroelectric energy storage are also used. Power-conditioning equipment is used to convert energy from direct current to usable alternating current. Surge protectors, switches, and groundings constitute the necessary safety equipment, while meters monitor power consumption, power fed into the grid, and energy storage.
4. The different microgeneration systems that are typically used include solar arrays, micro-wind turbines, combined heat and power systems, and micro-scale hydroplants. Electricity generated from these systems is typically direct current (DC) and has to be converted to an alternating current (AC) prior to usage within a home or exported to the electrical grid. This is accomplished by using a device called an inverter.
- Grid-connected
- Off-grid
S: 1. Etymonline – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=micro, https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=generation (last access: 21 January 2025). 2 & 3. EncBrit – https://www.britannica.com/technology/microgeneration (last access: 21 January 2025). 4. EE – https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Microgeneration (last access: 21 January 2025).
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CR: renewable energy
