CSA Group and SCC Collaborate on a New Bi-National Standard for Combined Heat and Power Appliances

May 4, 2022

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) devices are rising in popularity as individuals and organizations around the world look for ways to reduce emissions and energy costs. CHP devices, which include appliances like heating systems, generators and water heaters, present an alternative to gas appliances. Through a process called co-generation, CHP devices produce both electricity and thermal energy from a single source of energy, significantly improving energy efficiency, reducing energy costs, improving reliability of electricity supply and generating power for off-grid applications.

As CHP appliances become more prevalent, so does the need for consistent requirements and standards to help ensure their safety as they enter the marketplace. With this need in mind, CSA Group with support from the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), has published a new bi-national standard titled CSA/ANSI 13.1:22, Combined heat and power appliances. Intended for use by regulators, installers, manufacturers and certification bodies, CSA/ANSI 13.1 can serve as a consistent bi-national requirement to help streamline the inspection and certification process for all new combined heat and power (CHP) devices.

“As we collectively look for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining energy reliability, CHP appliances will undoubtedly continue to rise in popularity, says Brent Hartman, Director, Fuels and Transportation, CSA Group, Standards. “Combining design best practices and standardized requirements for cogeneration devices into a single standard is an important step in increasing user confidence, while helping to ensure CHP devices entering the market are safe and reliable.”

“Standards play an essential function to support emerging technologies, such as CHP, to encourage use of alternative energy appliances”, says Pierre Bilodeau, Vice President, Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement for SCC.  “Supporting this new standard through our Innovation Program is one of the ways to help Canada meet its net zero emission objectives in the years to come.”

The Standard was developed through a recognized development process, by volunteer members who are industry experts representing a wide range of stakeholders. CSA/ANSI 13.1 provides safety requirements and test methods for combined heat and power appliances and is intended to be used for conformity assessment of a range of CHP appliances in North America. This bi-national Standard was developed in compliance with Standards Council of Canada requirements for National Standards of Canada and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements for an American National Standard.

The development of CSA/ANSI 13.1 was informed by an existing CSA Group Technical Information Letter No. R-10 Covering Interim Certification Requirements for Thermoelectric Generators, however, the scope of CSA/ANSI 13.1:22 includes additional CHP devices.

The CSA/ANSI 13.1 standard is available in English and French on the CSA Group Store.

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