NOVELTY - A combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system (100) comprises an energy generator that simultaneously produces electrical and thermal energy; a waste heat recovery system (108) thermally coupled to the energy generator and including a distribution system for delivering thermal energy to the structure; and a cooling system for providing conditioned air to the structure.    USE - In residential or light commercial structure having electric and thermal loads.    ADVANTAGE - The system is capable of providing 100% utilization of an energy generator used by the system by distributing thermal and electrical outputs of the energy generator to loads and/or other storage apparatuses. Substantial energy recovery is achieved by storing thermal energy produced by the fuel cell system. The CCHP system is capable of using readily available hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas and propane instead of expensive, difficult-to-obtain fuels such as hydrogen or methanol. The use of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell lessens the need for expensive steam or low efficiency, low temperature shift reformers. The CCHP system can operate near atmospheric pressure, thereby increasing the system efficiency of the appliance by reducing parasitic losses from compressors and blowers. For example, the CCHP system is about 20% more efficient than similar systems that use compressors. The CCHP system does not require liquid water management, and power density is traded off for system efficiency. The CCHP system uses close-coupled heating and cooling systems, which share plumbing and heat transfer media, thereby creating a simple, integrated appliance. The CCHP system can include optimized power electronics, such as power conditioning system, which assists in maximizing power generation, extending fuel cell stack life, and providing high system efficiency. The CCHP system is designed and configured as a drop-in replacement for existing heating, cooling, and hot water systems, thereby reducing the expense of using the CCHP system as a replacement. By using the grid to supplement the CCHP system during peak load, the most expensive component in the system, the fuel cell system can be right-sized for maximum utilization, rather than sizing the fuel cell system for peak load power usage or under-sizing the fuel cell system such that it runs beneath the power usage profile of the application.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system (100) comprises an energy generator that simultaneously produces electrical and thermal energy; a waste heat recovery system (108) thermally coupled to the energy generator and including a distribution system for delivering thermal energy to the structure; and a cooling system for providing conditioned air to the structure. The waste heat recovery system is configured to recover thermal energy from energy generator and to return a first portion of the recovered thermal energy to energy generator and a second portion of the recovered energy to distribution system or cooling system depending on present or future needs of the structure. The system further comprises a control system to control the energy generator and the waste heart recovery system to dynamically respond to a thermal and/or an electric load of the structure. The energy generator is a fuel cell (preferably a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell). The energy generator uses natural gas or propane as a fuel. The fuel cell system is electronically coupled to an external power grid. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for method of efficiently using an energy generator capable of simultaneously producing electrical and thermal energy outputs, the method comprising determining an electrical or thermal load need, determining which output of the energy generator satisfies the electrical or thermal load need, producing one of the simultaneously produced energy outputs to meet at least a portion of the electrical or thermal load need, and directing the other simultaneously produced energy outputs to another load or to an energy storage system.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a block diagram of the combined cooling, heating and power system.    Combined cooling, heating, and power system (100)    Fuel cell system (104)    Waste heat recovery system (108)    Control system (112)