ORC based micro-cogeneration systems for residential application – A state of the art review and current challenges

The environmental awareness and sustainability concerns have reached an unprecedented level of importance that is leading to, among other things, constant improvements in the traditional methods of energy conversion. One of those improvements involves the use of micro-CHP (combined heat and power production) systems for residential applications since the potential in terms of primary energy savings and GHG (greenhouse gases) reductions is considered to be enormous. Among the different technologies available for micro-CHP systems, ORC based ones seem the most suitable and promising option due to its simplicity and its ability to retrofit current heating systems used in residential dwellings.