1. “What do you do, when you are ahead of the rest?”
Michael Colijn
Paris May 2008
Gas Industry Workshop on microCHP

2. (from idea to commerce)
- The Product -
(from idea to commerce)

3. WhisperGen MicroCHP System
Enclosure
Additional burner
Burner
Exhaust Heat
Exchanger
Core engine
Fan
Electrical output
Gas valve/controller
Alternator
Heating water
circuit

4. The WhisperGen Stirling Engine
Technical Details
Model / Housing MkV AC Generator gas fired, floor standing unit
Motor Double acting 4-Cylinder-Stirling-Cycle Power Electric: 1.000W AC at 220 – 240V. Heat: Standard heat output 7,5kW and maximum heat output 12kW Fuel Natural gas [most types] Grid connection 4-pole Asynchronous, IEC connection
Size & Weight 480 x 560 x 840 (B x D x H) <137 kg Environment Ambient temp: 0-45°C Humidity: 0-95% Flue gas Horizontal or vertical connection Certification CE-marked & local accreditation

5. The WhisperGen EU1 Based on the same 4-cylinder design
Principle is: reliability, stability, manufacturability
If anybody claims to have a product, there are only 3 questions to ask:
Can you make it in volume for <Euro 1500?
Can I buy one today?
Can you show a mean life of +10 yrs

6. (of a little girl with a BIG BOY)
The Marriage –
(of a little girl with a BIG BOY)

7. WhisperGen
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:
WhisperGen, a New Zealand-based company has developed stirling engines that can be powered by natural gas or diesel. Recently an agreement has been signed with Mondragon Corporación Cooperativa, a Spanish firm, to produce WhisperGen's microCHP and make them available for the domestic market in Europe.
Founded: 1995 based on a development by Don Clucas
Employees: 100
Ranking: 1st Commercial Stirling microCHP company worldwide
Structure: Limited Company, >93% owned by Meridian Energy, New Zealand’s largest energy supplier that is 100% Government owned

8. WhisperGen
So what have they manufactured in Christchurch?
Since its start in 1995, WhisperGen has manufactured units
7 large winter trials of >500 units across Europe
15 different locations & countries
Life time testing of > hours cumulatively
Longest running units have +10 years life
Proven reliability: lab, field trials, with end-users
Proven energy saving, proven carbon saving
Proven commercial viability

9. WhisperGen So where do they make these WhisperGens?
WhisperGen “country” Christchurch

10. Mondragon Cooperative Corporation
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:
The Mondragón Cooperative Corporation is a group of manufacturing and retail companies based in the Basque Country and extended over the rest of Spain and abroad. It is one of the world's largest worker cooperatives and one important example of workers' self-management
Founded: by a priest, Father Arizmendi
Employees: , and still growing
Structure: Workers Cooperative
Turnover: Euro 14 billion [2007]
Total Assets: Euro 43 billion
Ranking: 7th largest industrial group

11. Mondragon Cooperative Corporation
So what do they manufacture, apart from WhisperGens?
They make >1000 different products in >100 factories, with a total space of more than >1 million football fields
But for us – today – it is important to know they make >1,000,000 gas fired heating appliances per year. And they make engines for Europe’s largest car brands, and they make >8m units of whitegoods (fridges, washing machines etc) per year.
The combined knowledge of gas industry, white goods appliances and automotive is why WhisperGen wanted to work with MCC.

12. Mondragon Cooperative Corporation
So where do they manufacture these WhisperGens?
MCC “country”
Mondragon

13. Production of WhisperGens for Europe in Europe
The Joint Venture
WhisperGen
MCC
EHE
Efficient Home Energy
Production of WhisperGens for Europe in Europe

14. The Joint Venture Based in the Basque Country
On its own land
Own factory line
Using expertise, personnel and logistics from both MCC and WhisperGen
Initial line of 30,000 units p.a.
Low volume production Q4 2008
Slowly ramping up towards end 2009
Distribution in Europe
Main distribution partners identified
Network in 6 key countries established
Service team functional & experienced

15. (the proof of the pudding)
- The Test –
(the proof of the pudding)

16. The Test High number of installations In different countries
Different partners
At least 3 winters
Integrate your findings
To build commercial product

17. Where are those WhisperGens?
B: Lab tests
NL: 5th year
S: Several sites
UK: 6th year
D: Many trials
IR: large trial
A: Trials
CH: Trials
SI: Test units
FR: Large trials
IT: Field trials
P: Several sites
ES: Trials

18. Future Tech: The Virtual Power Plant
Future Tech: The Virtual Power Plant Testing the strength of the network with 48 WhisperGens

19. Future Tech: The Virtual Power Plant
Future Tech: The Virtual Power Plant Testing the strength of the network with 48 WhisperGens
Conclusions from the test with WhisperGens on the Grid:
The Network is SAFE
The Network is STABLE
WhisperGen can be INSTALLED without any special changes

20. (toward a real microCHP market)
- Next steps –
(toward a real microCHP market)

21. Next steps Stop the “next year” syndrome, by starting production now
Work with industry to call for fair & open access to market – grid connection, gas efficiency standards
Fight unfair standards with aligned companies and governments

22. Next steps
The most important issue for microCHP is that governments understand its simplicity:
Our technology gives energy saving
Energy saving = carbon reduction
At all cost we – collectively – need to avoid overcomplicated calculations that do not work thermodynamically, and nobody understands
WhisperGen/EHE will continue to work with industry on collective standards and government support across Europe for a range of technologies

23. What can we learn from Alice in Wonderland?
“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.
If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”
Alice takes advice from the Queen...

24. “So, what do you do, when you are ahead of the rest?”
1.You look for confirmation
in what you are doing by testing, testing, testing
2.You work with fellow developers
& future competitors to develop the market, fair standards
And
3.You keep running as fast as you can, because there is nothing less certain than staying in front.