WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tecogen Inc., a pioneer in combined heat and power (CHP) systems hits the road this week on an educational tour of the West Coast. The company will present actual versions of its ultra-low emissions-based CHP, chiller and heat pump systems during the next two months including meeting with distributors, energy centers, engineering firms and all those who want to better understand the energy efficiency benefits of cogeneration.  

The centerpiece of the roadshow tour is a fifty-three foot platform trailer that features three actual Tecogen products: an InVerde CHP module, a Tecochill chiller, and an Ilios heat pump.  The tour begins on September 11^th at a CHP seminar sponsored by Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) at the Energy Resource Center in the Los Angeles area. Other cities featured on the tour include Sacramento, Fresno, San Francisco and San Diego including a stop at the California Center for Sustainable Energy.  For a complete schedule, please see visit our website.

Coincidently, as the systems were being rigged for boarding onto the exhibit trailer, news of the Presidential Executive Order Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency was issued on August 30th.

"The President's executive order was exciting news for us and the timing of it couldn't have been better for the start of our tour," said Robert Panora, president and chief operating officer of Tecogen Inc. "We hope that this order and the news that it is generating will help bring greater attention to the benefits of CHP. This is highly efficient, clean and economical technology that is available today.  It is already providing the practical results we need to both conserve resources and protect the environment."

A specific goal of the order is to, "…deploy 40 gigawatts of new, cost effective industrial CHP in the United States by the end of 2020." The US Department of Energy's (DOE) announcement of this executive order was accompanied by the release of a new DOE and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report: "Combined Heat and Power - A Clean Energy Solution on CHP".  In this report, the DOE and EPA state that, "…recent market activity suggests the time is right for a rebound in CHP development powered by four critical drivers."  The report continues by defining these four drivers: the changing outlook for natural gas supply, price, the growing support of state policymakers, and the changing market conditions for power and industrial sectors.  The report concludes that "CHP is a commercially available clean energy solution that directly addresses a number of national priorities including improving the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, increasing energy efficiency, reducing emissions, enhancing our energy infrastructure, improving energy security and growing our economy."

Tecogen offers ultra-low emissions across all product lines of natural gas engine-driven cogeneration, chiller and heat pump systems. With Tecogen's Ultra system, emissions are on par with those from fuel cells and meet the most stringent air quality standards including those in Southern California.  This qualifies Tecogen systems for installation and often incentives in the toughest air quality districts in the United States.  Designed for institutional, commercial, industrial, educational, healthcare and multi-unit residential facilities, Tecogen systems deliver reliable, economical and clean energy performance for heating, chilling and power needs.

According to the President's executive order, the offices designated for policy coordination fulfilling the order are the Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

About Tecogen Products
The Tecogen InVerde module, a 100-kW inverter-based, natural-gas powered CHP system, meets a growing customer demand for "black-start" capability (operation during utility outages), simplified interconnection with the electric utilities, premium power quality, high part-load efficiencies, and breakthrough low emissions. Tecogen InVerde was the first engine-driven product in the CHP market to be certified "utility safe" to the latest UL 1741 interconnection standard, which qualifies it for a much simpler permitting process and is a requirement for California's standardized interconnection process for distributed energy resources.  Tecogen's proven line of smaller induction generator-based cogeneration modules also feature high efficiency and ultra-low emissions, and can be a good fit where black-start capability is not required.

Tecogen's TECOCHILL® Natural Gas Engine-Driven Chillers are available in capacities ranging from 25 to 400 tons, including air-cooled and water-cooled models.  The chillers provide both cooling and heat for a building from a single fuel source, resulting in dramatic savings on energy bills.  They provide significant electrical demand reductions during peak times of the year.

About Tecogen
Tecogen manufactures highly efficient, ultra-clean Combined Heat and Power (CHP) products including natural gas engine-driven cogeneration modules, chillers, and high-efficiency water heaters for commercial and industrial use. Tecogen has an installed base of more than 2100 units, which it supports through an established network of factory engineering, sales, and service personnel across the United States.  For more information, please visit www.tecogen.com.

Contact:
Editorial Contacts:
Melinda Furse, Tecogen Inc.
P: 781-466-6444
E: melinda.furse@tecogen.com

Pat Arcand, Arcand & Madison PR
P: 617-251-7778
E: pat@am-pr.com

Tecogen Investor Contact Information:        
John N. Hatsopoulos
P: 781-622-1120
E: jhatsopoulos@tecogen.com

SOURCE Tecogen Inc.