Common CHP plant types are:

• Gas turbine CHP plants using the waste heat in the flue gas of gas turbines
• Combined cycle power plants adapted for CHP
• Steam turbine CHP plants that use the heating system as the steam condenser for the steam turbine.
• Molten-carbonate fuel cells have a hot exhaust, very suitable for heating.

Smaller cogeneration units may use a reciprocating engine or Stirling engine. The heat is removed from the exhaust and the radiator. These systems are popular in small sizes because small gas and diesel engines are less expensive than small gas- or oil-fired steam-electric plants.

Some cogeneration plants are fired by biomass, or industrial and municipal waste