CHP Cost Defaults Update and Dispatch Options

[Bill-Becker]

The default cost values for CHP (CHP) and supporting thermal technologies including absorption chiller (AbsorptionChiller), hot water thermal energy storage (HotThermalStorage), and chilled water thermal energy storage (ColdThermalStorage) have been updated as of May 15th, 2026. Updates are based on the DOE CHP Fact Sheets and inflation factors to bring all costs to 2025 dollars. See sections 14.8-14.9, 16, and 17 of the Help Manual for updated cost values. The cost defaults for CHP also directly update the Prime Generator costs because the default Prime Generator cost is 75% of the CHP costs.

Specified dispatch options are now available for CHP and CHP with Absorption Chiller (when selected; see bottom of CHP inputs section, just above "Advanced inputs"):

• CHP can now be specified to follow the electrical load as much as it can, instead of doing the default cost-optimal (lowest cost) dispatch in each timestep.
• The user can now specify that CHP sends its available heat only to the Absorption Chiller, all year (e.g. for process cooling or data centers) or for specified months (e.g. summer)

REopt now handles the ability to input zero/no heating load for evaluating CHP with absorption chiller in a cooling-only scenario, such as data centers or industrial process cooling. The tool can now evaluate the cost effectiveness of CHP to provide electricity and cooling to data centers, in addition to all of the other technologies like battery storage and solar PV.