ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Two Chicago projects supported by Boilersource received 2026 CHP Project of the Year Awards from the Midwest Cogeneration Association (MCA). The projects include micro combined heat and power (mCHP) installations at Half Acre Beer Company and the 5550 S. Dorchester multifamily building.

Both installations generate electricity on-site while capturing heat that otherwise would be wasted and using it to meet hot water demand.

MCA presented the awards at its 2026 Midwest Cogeneration Conference. The association recognizes combined heat and power (CHP) and distributed energy resource projects for effective design and deployment, energy savings, emissions reductions and resiliency.

Boilersource, a manufacturer's representative supplying commercial and industrial boilers, water heaters and advanced energy systems in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana, served as equipment supplier for both projects. The company also provided engineering support, startup, commissioning and ongoing aftermarket support, working with project teams to identify suitable applications and coordinate implementation.

“These projects show how micro-CHP can be applied in very different facilities when there is a consistent need for both electricity and usable heat,” says Tony Ranallo, Principal/COO of Boilersource. “Our role went beyond supplying the equipment. We worked with the project teams on the application, engineering, and commissioning so each system could be integrated around how the facility actually operates.”

Brewery Uses Recovered Heat for Brewing Process

At Half Acre Beer Company's facility at 2050 W. Balmoral Ave., Boilersource worked with the Peoples Gas Energy Efficiency Program, Kinergetics LLC and Stanton Mechanical Inc. on a system designed to address the brewery's substantial hot water and electrical demands.

The installation includes two EC Power XRGI-25 units with a combined electrical generating capacity of 48 kW. Brewing requires significant quantities of hot water for production and sanitation, making the facility a suitable application for CHP. The system captures heat generated during electricity production and uses it to preheat water for the brewing process.

The system is expected to meet approximately 59% of the facility's hot water load and 14% of its electrical load while operating at more than 93% overall efficiency. Project estimates indicate annual electricity savings of approximately 138,000 kWh, net annual cost savings of $17,888 and an annual reduction of approximately 79,710 pounds of CO2 emissions.

The measurement and verification process has already shown greater savings than estimated, along with an unexpected reduction in gas usage resulting from reduced steam production for hot water generation.

The project moved from feasibility study through system design, installation and commissioning in less than six months.

“The Half Acre project is a good example of matching the technology to the application,” Ranallo says. “A brewery has an ongoing need for process hot water along with a significant electrical load. CHP allows both sides of that energy demand to be addressed within the same system.”

Multifamily Installation Offsets Electrical and Hot Water Loads

The second recognized project is at 5550 S. Dorchester Ave. in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The 124-unit multifamily property uses two Axiom Energy 4.4 kW mCHP units integrated with the building's existing domestic hot water infrastructure.

Boilersource worked with the Peoples Gas Energy Efficiency Program, property management and project partner PremiStar to integrate the system while minimizing disruption to residents and ongoing building operations.

The system generates approximately 50,000 kWh annually, offsets about 20% of the building's electrical load and supplies approximately 55% of its domestic hot water demand. The installation operates at approximately 95% total fuel utilization efficiency.

The project demonstrates how mCHP can be applied in existing multifamily buildings as well as industrial facilities. Consistent domestic hot water demand provides an opportunity to recover and reuse thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted.

“Both projects give building owners and facility managers real-world examples of what this technology can do,” Ranallo says. “As electricity costs and pressure on the grid continue to increase, it is worth looking at technologies that can reduce purchased electricity while making productive use of the heat generated on-site.”