In today’s commercial and industrial world, whether you run a large commercial campus, a data center, a condominium or a university, power isn’t just important, it’s mission critical.
Production lines, process heating, chilled water systems, steam loops, robotics, HVAC, data/IT, safety systems, facility operations, and other critical systems all depend on stable, continuous electricity. When the grid falters, operations stop, emissions rise, and profitability takes a hit.
This article covers:
- The energy and thermal requirements of commercial and industrial facilities.
- Available power options for meeting those needs.
Why natural-gas turbine-based Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and self-generation systems from FlexEnergy Solutions deliver a compelling economic and operational advantage.
READ MORE: Industry Solutions: Large Commercial and Industrial Applications
Electrification & Efficiency Trends Driving Energy Strategies in Commercial and Industrial Markets
Four major trends are reshaping how facilities think about power and heat:
Reliability & Resilience Pressures. Most Commercial and Industrial operations cannot tolerate outages. Critical-load facilities – hospitals, data centers, refrigerated warehouses, manufacturers with sensitive processes – require 24/7 reliable, clean, high-quality power. Grid instability, aging infrastructure, and extreme weather events are pushing operators to seek on-site, controllable power sources that maintain uptime regardless of utility performance.
Energy Cost Volatility. Electricity prices across the U.S. continue to climb, and many industrial operators face peak-demand charges, ratchets, and time-of-use penalties. Natural-gas turbine CHP systems offset purchased electricity with on-site, high-efficiency generation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average efficiency of fossil-fuel powered plants in the U.S. is 36%, meaning 64% is of the energy used to generate electricity at power plants is wasted in the form of heat vented to the atmosphere. By harnessing the heat created in power generation and using it for other purposes, a CHP system can achieve total efficiency of 65-80% or more. Additionally, gas turbine systems typically offer the cleanest power generation alternatives.
Decarbonization & Air-Quality Requirements. Commercial and Industrial facilities are under growing pressure to:
- Reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions
- Replace diesel gensets
- Lower NOₓ footprints
- Meet sustainability or corporate ESG mandates
Natural gas turbines deliver low emissions, low noise, and higher efficiency, especially when used in CHP mode where waste heat is captured for steam, hot water, or process heat.
READ MORE: FlexEnergy Solutions Secures CARB Recertification of GT333S Flex Turbine
The Need to “Right-Size” and Scale. Commercial and Industrial energy profiles often fluctuate seasonally, with expansions, production shifts, or thermal-load variances. Modular turbine CHP systems allow organizations to scale generation up or down, integrate renewables, and optimize for both electrical and thermal output.
Power and CHP Options for Commercial and Industrial Facilities
The table below summarizes the primary power options available for Commercial and/or Industrial facilities, including their pros and cons.
READ MORE: From Grid to Green: Flex Turbines® Transform Eastlink Centre’s Energy Use
Why FlexEnergy Solutions’ Turbine-Based CHP and Self-Generation Stand Out
Fuel Flexibility and Reliability. The Flex Turbine® from FlexEnergy is engineered for consistent performance and ultra-high reliability across a wide range of gas conditions. For industrial customers using pipeline gas, biogas, digester gas, or flare-mitigation gas, this flexibility simplifies project planning and improves uptime.
A CHP Workhorse. CHP is where the Flex Turbine delivers enormous economic benefit. Capturing turbine exhaust heat allows Commercial and Industrial operators to support:
- Process heat
- Steam generation
- Hot-water loops
- Absorption chillers
- District energy systems
Many facilities achieve overall efficiencies of 70–80%, significantly higher than grid power plus boiler systems.
Emissions Leadership. CHP can provide the same energy services using approximately one-third less fuel than would be required by a conventional generator and boiler. Over 70% efficiency for typical cogeneration applications at ISO conditions.
Importantly, the Flex Turbine operates cleaner than most utility grids. For instance, according to the most recent eGRID data for 2023, the CAMX grid serving California produces 0.392 pounds of NOx per MWh annually – nearly double the 0.210 pounds per MWh generated by the Flex Turbine.
The chart below illustrates 2023 NOx emissions for U.S. utility grids as compared to the Flex Turbine
For organizations with ESG goals, carbon-reduction plans, or permitting constraints, this generates major compliance and sustainability advantages.
Extreme Uptime and Proven Reliability. The Flex Turbine fleet had demonstrated 99%+ mechanical availability, backed by an enviable track record of more than 4 million runtime hours.
Advantages:
- Only one eight-hour scheduled maintenance interval annually.
- We are the OEM with service support available regionally – no middleman for fast problem resolution.
- Fewer moving parts (compared to reciprocating engines) means less maintenance, fewer breakdowns, and more uptime.
Rapid Deployment and Independence from the Grid. Many Commercial and/or Industrial projects face multi-year delays for electrical upgrades, transformer additions, or new substation construction. FlexEnergy turbine CHP systems can be deployed in weeks, not years – delivering immediate relief from grid constraints.
Scalable and Modular: FlexGrid Microgrids. Beyond single-unit deployment, we offer the FlexGrid microgrid solution:
- For existing facilities: supplement or island from the utility to improve resilience.
- For new projects: build a custom, scalable CHP microgrid aligned with facility expansion.
Our FlexGrid microgrids can scale up from 200kW to ~10 megawatts as needed.
READ MORE: FlexEnergy Solutions Cogeneration Solutions Page
FlexEnergy Gas Turbine Options
- GT333S Microturbine (approximately 333 kW) – suited for small industrial sites, commercial buildings, hospitals, and distributed R&D campus loads requiring CHP.
- GT2000S Gas Turbine Generator (Siemens-powered) – up to ~2 MW for larger industrial operations, district-energy systems, central plants, and manufacturing campuses needing multi-MW CHP.
The FlexEnergy Difference
For commercial and industrial facilities striving for resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy, FlexEnergy Solutions delivers:
- Reliable, continuous power independent of long-grid-connection delays
- Very low emissions compared to both grids and reciprocating engines
- Fuel flexibility (biogas, renewable natural gas, wellhead gas, pipeline gas, etc.)
- High uptime, minimal maintenance
- Scalable modularity and rapid deployment
- Long-term OEM service and support
If your operation is struggling with rising electricity rates, reliability issues, sustainability mandates, or aging boilers and thermal systems, a FlexEnergy turbine-based CHP solution deserves serious consideration.
Don’t let power or thermal constraints limit your productivity. Take control with a resilient, efficient, low-emissions CHP strategy – and keep your operation running at peak performance.
Call FlexEnergy Solutions today at +1 (720) 826-0708 or contact us online to schedule a CHP strategy consultation.