Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How reliable is it?
A: There are some 5000 turbine co-generation systems operational worldwide. The turbine component is very reliable with only minor services every 8,000 hours with a major every 40,000 hours.

Q: What sizes is MultiGen available in?
A: MultiGen is available in 30kW 65kW 130kW,195kW, 400kW scalable to 1MW.

Q: How much water will it save?
A: It depends on the size machine installed. If operated on a straight tower evaporation system it will save approximately 1.5 litres per kW of MultiGen i.e. 65MultiGen will save 100/litres per hour.

Q: Can it operate outside?
A: Yes, most systems are rooftop mounted near the A/C evaporative tower

Q: How much CO2 will it save?
A: Approx 6 tons per MultiGen kW per year. i.e. 385 tons on a MultiGen 65kW compared to brown coal power generation. Using MultiGen to heat water significantly reduces CO2 emissions if an electrical or gas fired heating system is replaced.

Q: Can the system supply hot air as well as cool air for winter?
A: Yes

Q: What effect does a hot day have on the system?
A: We redirect the by-product cool air back towards the air intake of the turbine allowing the system to operate at normal loading.

Q: What happens if the tower was cycling on/off?
A: The air taken into the Air~water maker is not as hot and the RH would drop however the machine would continue to make water at a reduced rate until tower cycles ''on'' again.

Q: Can you sell the excess power made in off peak back to the grid?
A: There is a big move towards this in many cities. The power generated is clean power and as a result is welcome back into the grid and now most states are looking closely at this as they have done with solar power being connected to the grid.

Q: What sort of water does it make?
A : The water manufactured is taken from the evaporating vapor leaving the cooling tower. As normally this vapor goes directly into the atmosphere this vapor has federal standards that the tower manufacturer must build to. This is the vapor we collect and simply return it to the tower as cool clean water for reuse again in the tower. This water is generally cleaner and cooler than the city water.

Q: Is legionnaires disease combated?
A. Yes, by the same team who currently treat the evaporation tower. The water collected however is clean and simply returned to the tower. No change to the existing system is required.

Q: Because the water is clean and cold what effect does it have on the tower?
A: The efficiency of the tower is increased due to the lack of solids and chemicals in the water returned to the tower. This also results in reduced maintenance requirements and is dependent on the size and amount of water returned.

Q: What is the over all objective of the MultiGen?
A: To economically reduce the use of grid connected power, reduce GHG emissions and conserve water.

Q: Why doesn’t MultiGen use gas fired or diesel generators?
A: These types of generators have a number of significant disadvantages, such as their weight and size, very high amounts of maintenance, high levels of polluting emissions, and they are much
noisier.

Q: Is there a f inance package?
A: Yes, MultiGen can be rented or purchased outright. Building owners should consider the financial advantages available to them with either option.

Q: Can you use a MultiGen to simply replace the water heating commonly found in the form of Gas Boilers?
A: Yes, MultiGen is available in a simple all in one co-generation system that makes electricity and uses the exhaust gas heat to heat the water while making clean, less expensive electricity.

Q: When is the Power Optimiser option used?
A: When the power the building uses is greater than the amount of power the Multigen can generate. As a guide - approximately 50% greater power usage.

Q: What is the Government prediction for electric and water prices in the near future?
A: Generally it’s believed that electricity and water will both double in the next 4 years in most
states .

Q: How does MultiGen compare to a Solar PV installation
A: MultiGen produces many useful energy products electricity, water, air and heat while Solar only produces electricity. The captial cost for a MultiGen is much less than Solar PV while the ROI for Solar is many years the MultiGen acheives this in about 5 years: Click here fro more information.