Evaluation of distributed generation systems in Thailand's Metropolitan Electricity Authority areas

The connection of distributed generation (DG) is increasing in the distribution areas of Thailand's Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA). The major customers are large general services using natural gas as fuel. The waste heat from electricity generation is useful in terms of cogeneration system. This article studies the potential application of DG in the form of cogeneration of the customers located near natural gas pipelines in MEA service areas. The customers are divided into commercial building and Industrial factory groups. The potential of customers are analyzed in cases of customer's own investment and MEA's investment in DG system. Geographic Information System (GIS) is used as the analysis tools for finding the customers in 1 kilometers radius from pipeline. The evaluation found that cooling compensation from DG is equal to cooling demand in the commercial building and approximate to power consumption in factory. By these condition rate of return from DG are best. Clean Development Mechanism project (CDM) can improve rate of return from DG in industrial group customer.