Topics from the Power Line:
Using local resources leads to better energy choices
Opportunities to effectively use local energy resources are all around us. Waterfalls, beetle-damaged trees, manure, municipal waste and sunshine are all possible energy choices. Here are several examples of how Western's Energy Services Power Line experts recently helped customers understand their local resource energy potential.
Hydropower opportunities spring from drops
A Utah utility representative called Western's
Power Line about a potential micro hydropower site—a
future water pipeline—with a 1,000-foot drop. He wanted
help estimating potential generation capacity.
A Power Line engineer determined that a hydropower installation at this site could generate about 135 kW. He discussed effective vs. available head with friction losses taken into consideration. He provided the client with the equation for project sizing based on head and flow, so other sites could be evaluated in a similar fashion.
The Power Line engineer also explained Federal, state and local hydroelectric project permitting requirements, and fish, wildlife, and cultural constraints and the type of equipment necessary for such a site, such as impulse turbines. He also provided product information, a sample permitting guide, and a referral to the Federal permitting requirements.
Generating steam from trees
Power Line experts heard from a developer planning to build a new resort. The developer's property is covered with standing and down beetle-damaged wood. The nearest power connection is two miles and $80,000 away. The developer wanted information about small steam generators in the 20-kW to 100kW size that could use the wood as fuel to produce electricity for his project.
A Power Line engineer provided contacts for manufacturers of steam generators and referred the developer to the U.S. Department of Energy's Small Modular Systems program. The DOE program defines "small" as rated capacities less than 5 MW. Many DOE-supported projects create biogas from wood or other biomass, which is then burned to generate electricity.
Methanol augments local industry
The president of a consulting firm asked Power Line experts for help with a biomass conversion technology that:
- makes methanol.
- uses animal manure and solid municipal waste in a proven system.
- provides as many byproducts from one process as possible.
The consultant was assisting a state economic development agency to help five rural communities augment their mining and agricultural economies. The communities have access to 4,000 tons of free municipal waste daily and have lined up funding and political support.
A Power Line bioenergy specialist identified an available liquefaction technology. It uses an extruder from the plastics industry to process wood waste biomass under high temperatures into high value products. The technology may not be available with a large enough capacity and isn't currently designed to use municipal waste because of the lengthy permitting process.
The specialist referred the customer to another available technology that produces ethanol using municipal waste. He encouraged the client to decide what raw material he wanted to use and the markets he would like to explore to help determine the most appropriate technology.
Powering a historic hotel
The owner of an historic Colorado hotel was interested in the pros and cons of using higher voltages for 160 tons of new cooling as a first step toward purchasing only higher voltage power in the future. The owner was also interested in using the hotel's 10,000-square-foot roof for solar water heating.
A mechanical engineer at the Energy Services Power Line explained that with the addition of a step-down transformer, a variety of voltages would still be possible. He explained that many motors currently running on 208 volts can also run at 480 volts, and that doing so makes them run cooler and more efficiently. He pointed out that any fairly new wiring—even that for 120-volts—is generally rated for 600 volts, so the hotel owner can likely reuse much of the property's existing wiring for the higher voltage. He cautioned that the site may have some older wiring that lacks this capacity. The engineer also noted that line losses will drop by 80 percent. Finally, he pointed out that using higher voltage will open up additional capacity, so additional load can be added. The Power Line expert also provided information on solar water heating possibilities.
Use of local resources makes economic sense
What these recent Power Line cases have in common is making better use of local resources. The clients also share the growing awareness that pursuing these opportunities involves overcoming the challenges of identifying reliable and available equipment, assessing new technologies, understanding environmental impact regulations and permitting processes and making good economic decisions.
Power Line technical assistant and referrals coupled with product literature and research helped these utilities and their clients make better energy choices.