In this dissertation the performance of a cogeneration system was simulated using data obtained in tests of a natural gas fired 30 kW microturbine, operated during peak hours, and coupled to a heat recovery unit to generate hot water to be consumed in the showers of the PUC-Rio Gymnasium, together with a thermal reservoir to match the demand. Initially, the performance of the cogeneration system was measured at different operating conditions, showing that the electric energy generation efficiency is smaller than what is declared by the manufacturer (16,6%). The heat recovery from the exhaust gases was measured as 29,1% for full load operation and 46,3% for 25% load operation. In this dissertation a methodology was developed for calculating the effectiveness of the heat recovery unit. The performance simulation was aimed to better understand the behaviour of the cogeneration system for different water consumption rates and its storage temperature, determining the maximum allowed value so that the shower water temperature be at least 40ºC. The timewise energy equation was numerically solved, using the modelled performance of each component, to estimate the storage reservoir water temperature as a function of time, for different electric and thermal energy loads. The results indicated the conditions for better thermal energy usage and its economic feasibility, including the relationship between generation hours and the stored thermal energy consumption.