AUGUSTA — Helping Maine businesses explore the benefits of installing combined heat and power systems to reduce energy costs is the focus of a workshop scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in Jewett Hall at the University of Maine at Augusta, 46 University Drive, according to a news release from UMaine News, Division of Marketing and Communications, University of Maine, Orono.

The free public workshop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s New England Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership at the University of Maine, in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire.

Participants can learn about the benefits of installing a mid-size generator at their business that will provide both electricity and heat for facilities. Combined heat and power — also known as cogeneration — is an efficient and clean approach to generating both electric power and heat from a single fuel source, like biomass or natural gas. Furthermore, heat and power can be produced on-site, reducing the need to purchase electricity from the distribution grid, greatly increasing energy security and resiliency, according to David Dvorak, CHP TAP director and UMaine professor of mechanical engineering technology, according to the release.

In addition to Dvorak, expected workshop speakers include Dan Burgess, director of the Governor’s Energy Office; and A.J. Ballard, energy manager for the Maine Army National Guard. Industry leaders will talk about on-site CHP for critical market sectors in Maine — manufacturing, commercial and multifamily, health care and greenhouses — and the tools and resources available for installation.

To register, visit umaine.edu/conferences. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Suzanne Watson at 712-3016 or
swatson@watsonstrategy.com.