Operating a 500 kWel CHP goes along with reduced feed-in tariffs of 20 €/MWh according to Austrian’s Eco-Electricity Act. The positive effect of lower investment and operating costs for larger capacities is therefore narrowed by less revenue for produced electricity. If is forbidden to use two CHPs with same capacity at one location in the maximum structure to gain higher feed-in tariffs the next larger CHP capacity has to be taken although this would

district heating

Fig. 5. PNS optimum structure with a central 500 kWel CHP

go along with shortened revenue. With this precondition the optimization of the maximum structure presented in Figure 2 but with only one central 500 kWel CHP unit whereas the rest of the optimum structure (Figure 3) stays the same.

The revenue is narrowed but not as much as it was in scenario 1. To use a 500 kWel central CHP would cause a revenue reduction of yearly 50,000 € within a payout period of 15 years.