Sizzling Summer Scorches Power Production

Posted by The Power Generation Blog on Thursday, July 8, 2010
(Image courtesy of the World Meteorological Organization)

The United States isn't the only country suffering from the effects of a blistering Summer. It was recently reported that because of a heat wave, China's twenty-four hour electricity consumption rate reached its highest level in all of history, when it hit nearly 13 billion killowatt-hours on Monday, July fifth. The previous world record, from last July, was exceeded by over five percent. The article, from English.news.cn, stated the following information regarding the stress on China's power generation infrastructure:

"The heat wave is affecting at least 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC), which issued an orange-level heat alert on Tuesday, the second highest level. With temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius, the electricity load in Beijing, Tianjin, Fujian and north China hit record high on Monday."

In order to avoid power shortages throughout the rest of the Summer, Chinese power officials are working diligently to predict electricity-demand patterns from the sixteen effected areas. Whether or not global warming is real or just a theory is a whole different topic, but those in the industry of power generation would do well to take a cue from the problems China is experiencing. Until new technologies are developed and as long as global temperatures continue to rise, power costs and the demands on the resources of every nation will continue to increase.

For more information on the Chinese heat-wave, in English, click the link:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-07/06/c_13386638.htm

To learn more about the demands of power generation in the United States and Germany, visit the PACT website:

http://www.pactinc.com/

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Opening the Flood Gates: Water Quality and Quantity in Power Generation

Posted by The Power Generation Blog on Monday, June 28, 2010

As was reported by Power Magazine, a study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and reported on in “Running Dry at the Power Plant” (EPRI Journal, Summer 2007) predicts that water shortages will be experienced in the U.S. within the next 10 years under average climate conditions, and the situation will be more severe under drought conditions. With the global temperature fluctuating sporadically over the last few years, it is likely that the trend of unpredictable weather systems will continue for some time. What does this mean to those in the industry of power generation? As water is one of the fundamental elements of electricity generation, it is likely to have a profound impact.

Water is used as the standard coolant in most power generation processes, ranging from renewable energy resources to the heat-retention systems in nuclear power plants. The issue comes when the water used is either recycled back into the system or dumped, leaving potentially hazardous particulate matter in the water that can pollute the environment in which it ends up. The article from Power Magazine states that:

"Specific tower components have been developed and continue to undergo improvement as a direct result of decreasing water availability and increasing difficulty in obtaining permits for new cooling towers. For example, high-efficiency film fills maximize tower thermal performance, and modern drift eliminator designs can limit drift loss to as low as 0.0005% of the circulating water flow rate. Cooling tower fill is used to achieve the most economical heat transfer rate by providing increased contact surface area between the water and air."


It will be important for those in the power generation industry to monitor changes in cooling technology as water resources become more scarce. It is likely that in the future, our power generation output will be determined by the amount of water that is available for cooling applications in the industry. Until new methods of heat distribution and cooling are developed we will be dependent on water, and as water shortages continue to become more and more frequent, it is likely that our conservation of the element will determine our success for decades to come.


To read the article from Power Magazine, follow the link:

http://www.powermag.com/issues/features/Appraising-Our-Future-Cooling-Water-Options_2718.html

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Roadmap 2050: Where Power Generation is Going in the Next Half-Century

Posted by The Power Generation Blog on Monday, June 21, 2010

The European Climate Foundation (ECF) has recently published 'Roadmap 2050: A Practical Guide to a Prosperous, Low-Carbon Europe' which plans out the decarbonization of the continent over the next forty years. The guide supplies information on four potential scenarios, ranging from having forty to one-hundred percent of energy supplied by renewable resources by 2050. The guide isn't idealistic though, as it also discusses the primary argument against a high-renewable energy scenario: that renewable energy is not always as dependable as CCS and nuclear power.
One of the more interesting tidbits from an article on the subject at Power-Gen Worldwide:

"With the exception of existing hydroelectric facilities, almost all of the power generation capacity required to supply Europe in 2050 will need to be built in the next 40 years. This is a major undertaking regardless of the energy mix, and would pose a massive challenge even in a high-carbon scenario.The key finding of the Roadmap 2050 project is that the challenge is basically the same in either a high-carbon, low-carbon or zero-carbon energy scenario, in terms of overall cost and scale."
The steps outlined in the plan would need to be implemented by 2015 for the EFC to reach its intended goal. Several energy-efficient measures that would reduce cost and demand will be put into place, and investments in regional networks alongside local smart grids are on the agenda. There are also plans in place to reform the market in order to create a positive investment scenario. The Roadmap 2050 project is a sure sign that carbon efficiency in power generation is a trend that is extending its reach to all parts of the world.
To read the article at Power-Gen Worldwide, follow the link:
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The Economics of Heat-Recovery Steam Generators

Posted by The Power Generation Blog on Monday, June 14, 2010

During the 1990s and 2000s, many combined-cycle plants were implemented in the United States for a wide range of applications. With the economic turbulence we have experienced in the last decade, deregulation of the electricity market and the ever-rising price of natural gas, many of these plants began to make sacrifices to keep their production levels high, sometimes at the cost of efficiency.

With demand of production peaking at several times during a standard workday, some manufacturers had to start "double-cycling" their plants, meaning they would cover the morning peak, shut down production, and then restart to cover the afternoon or evening peak. As most of these plants were not designed to handle this stress, many manufacturers are noticing reduced life of their components and experiencing higher costs for replacement and repair than they had originally anticipated. An article from Power Magazine has this perspective:

"In actuality, few owners are capable of accurately projecting these statistics over a 30-plus-year life cycle. The assumed inspection and maintenance programs in the conventional LCA (Life-Cycle Analysis) for the typical combined-cycle plant are based on fixed periodic intervals and statistical information derived from baseloaded units. But an inspection and maintenance program for any unit should take into account the actual operation of the HRSG, not merely the theoretical operating profile. Deviate from those design assumptions, and the actual life of critical components may be severely compromised"

Manufacturers will quickly find that the hidden costs of maintaining these over-exhausted machines might take a hefty chunk out of their companies' budgets. Cycling occurs when machines are run and then shut down to meet grid demand and provide owners with the most efficient and cost-effective production values. Unfortunately, it simply isn't practical to run these machines in cyclic conditions without incurring the cost of unforeseen maintenance and part replacement.

To read the article at Powermag.com, follow the link:
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Hydropower: The Most Popular Source of Power Generation Worldwide

Posted by The Power Generation Blog on Monday, June 7, 2010
It was recently reported by globaldata.com that Hydropower is the most efficient and popular renewable resource for electricity generation in the entire world. As the demand for energy rises across the globe, the nations of the world are looking for the highest possible return on their energy investment. Hydroelectric power is ideal for this because of low maintenance costs, inexpensive operation and high energy yield. It is likely that the renewable energy industry will trend toward water-based power in the near future and for decades to come.

The article projects a market analysis for hydropower for the next ten years, as small and mini hydroelectric plants begin to be widely developed. Globaldata estimates that by 2015, small hydropower will produce 140 gigawatts of electricity and by 2020 that number will be closer to 210 GW. Considering that in 2001 the entire output of the world's hydropower was 695.8 GW and by 2009 that number was 888.8GW, this is no small drop in the bucket.

The entire report is incredibly interesting to those in the power generation field. Here is a quick abstract:

GlobalData’s “Global Small Hydro Power Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2020” report gives an in-depth analysis of Global small hydro power market and provides forecasts up to 2020. The research analyzes the growth, evolution of global small hydro power market up to 2008 and gives historical and forecast statistics for the period 2001-2020. This research also gives detailed analysis of the market structures of the technology and regulatory policies that govern it. Detailed information on key current and upcoming assets give a roadmap to this industry’s development.

As the world's demand for power continues to increase exponentially along with our population and the rapid growth of technology, companies who are looking for an efficient renewable resource should consider riding the wave of hydropower into the next decade.
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Iowa and Texas Face Off Over Wind Supremecy

Posted by The Power Generation Blog on Tuesday, May 25, 2010

There's a little friendly rivalry between Iowa and Texas (and as we know, competition spurs innovation). The Dallas News reports that Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced, "I just want Texas to know that we're coming after you." The governor said this remark at the Windpower 2010 convention in Dallas. Iowa presently generates 3,670 megawatts of wind power whereas Texas generates approximately 10,000 megawatts of wind power. Iowa is the second-largest producer of wind power in America.

It is clear why Iowa wants to move into wind power. Beside the technology offering a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly source of energy, it also offers new avenues for job creation. Texas presently has about 10,000 jobs linked to the wind power industry, and it projects about 41,000 jobs by the end of the decade. The state has plans to spend upwards of $5 billion in order to double its wind power generation infrastructure and offer the energy from as far away as Northwestern Texas down to the metropolitan centers in the east.

Texas is really an exemplary state for wind power growth: Back in 1999, the state only generating about 116 megawatts of wind power. It's thought that Texas' largely deregulated power market has been responsible for its enormous growth. The state has also enjoyed relatively unbroken economic prosperity as the rest of the country has endured more ups and downs. One area in which Texas still suffers is in transmitting its power across state lines. The state does not share much of its power grid with other states. However, it seems that that may just be a function of state's unique personal identity.
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European Union Pushes For Smart Grid Funding

Posted by The Power Generation Blog on Monday, May 17, 2010

Europe is getting hammered pretty hard by the declining global economy. But this hasn't hindered European Union from trying to secure funding for a supergrid. Recently, the EU's Minister for Communication, Energy, and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan reached out to business leaders in Dublin. Ryan had a lot to say to the Business & Leadership Green Economy conference. Ryan exhorted business leaders to reduce carbon emissions and create a "revolution" in the green economy. He noted that there are many viable green energy technologies, including wind energy, but in order for green technology to take off, Europe will need a better energy grid. He said,
"To give us the modern electrical economy we need a modern grid, at home, and to connect north-western Europe.

“European energy ministers are working on this; it’s not pie in the sky. When I go to energy council ministers, we talk about how we could connect Britain to Norway, how we fund these, the timelines.
“We are setting out the plans and we’ll be going to Europe for a review of funding for 2014. The opportunity is to match funding arrangements for future smart grids with climate-change objectives and I think we’ll succeed. Airtricity’s Eddie O’Connor has been talking about this for years, everyone is taking this serious as one of main projects in Europe."

As we've noted before, an efficient energy revolution will fail to take place unless a smart grid gets implemented. It's great to see the European Union look to the long term, past these present economic woes, and at a future composed of smart grid and green energy.
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