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Run of the River Hydroelectric Projects

Media_Truth

Media_Truth

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I ran across this article today. Sounds like this technology has a lot of potential to be used in more and more hilly areas, with less environmental impact than hydroelectricity.

30. How it works: Run-of-river hydroelectric power - Green Energy Futures

The Fitzsimmons Creek project is a 7.5-megawatt power plant right in the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and it produces enough power to cover the annual energy consumption of the site. Not too bad when you consider its 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, numerous snow-making machines and other buildings and services.
...
Run-of-river is growing fast in British Columbia. There are currently 45 different operations totaling 858 megawatts in capacity with several more on the way. One of the bigger players is Innergex, a Quebec-based company with 11 operational run-of-river projects in B.C.
 
Media_Truth said:
I ran across this article today. Sounds like this technology has a lot of potential to be used in more and more hilly areas, with less environmental impact than hydroelectricity.

30. How it works: Run-of-river hydroelectric power - Green Energy Futures

The Fitzsimmons Creek project is a 7.5-megawatt power plant right in the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and it produces enough power to cover the annual energy consumption of the site. Not too bad when you consider its 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, numerous snow-making machines and other buildings and services.
...
Run-of-river is growing fast in British Columbia. There are currently 45 different operations totaling 858 megawatts in capacity with several more on the way. One of the bigger players is Innergex, a Quebec-based company with 11 operational run-of-river projects in B.C.
Click to expand...

It requires serious mountain terrain. Maybe Colorado, W. Virginia, Oregon and the like.
 
I think it's great tech, even if regionally restricted. However I expect that renewable energy front will be highly diverse...it makes sense that if you want to generate energy in a way that doesn't harm the land, you need to work with the lay of the land. I think we'll see a lot of really good solutions come into play.
 
DaveFagan said:
It requires serious mountain terrain. Maybe Colorado, W. Virginia, Oregon and the like.
Click to expand...
I am not so sure, the article says a 250 meter head and a 3.5 km pipe, that is 820 feet over 1.6 miles.
I think areas that meet that criteria can be found in many states, of course they also need flowing water.
 
Media_Truth said:
I ran across this article today. Sounds like this technology has a lot of potential to be used in more and more hilly areas, with less environmental impact than hydroelectricity.

30. How it works: Run-of-river hydroelectric power - Green Energy Futures

The Fitzsimmons Creek project is a 7.5-megawatt power plant right in the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and it produces enough power to cover the annual energy consumption of the site. Not too bad when you consider its 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, numerous snow-making machines and other buildings and services.
...
Run-of-river is growing fast in British Columbia. There are currently 45 different operations totaling 858 megawatts in capacity with several more on the way. One of the bigger players is Innergex, a Quebec-based company with 11 operational run-of-river projects in B.C.
Click to expand...

Things like that can be done in particular locations but its not like that is going to be a feasible alternative energy solution nationwide. even the total of 858 megawatts is pretty miniscule. Perhaps not for Canada with their ~30 million population . The USA consumes about 60 times as much power as Canada though.
Its a solution for isolated mountain areas that have the rivers and there already are some of those in running in the USA> its nice and its pretty clean but its just one very small piece of the energy solution.
 
Media_Truth said:
I ran across this article today. Sounds like this technology has a lot of potential to be used in more and more hilly areas, with less environmental impact than hydroelectricity.

30. How it works: Run-of-river hydroelectric power - Green Energy Futures

The Fitzsimmons Creek project is a 7.5-megawatt power plant right in the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and it produces enough power to cover the annual energy consumption of the site. Not too bad when you consider its 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, numerous snow-making machines and other buildings and services.
...
Run-of-river is growing fast in British Columbia. There are currently 45 different operations totaling 858 megawatts in capacity with several more on the way. One of the bigger players is Innergex, a Quebec-based company with 11 operational run-of-river projects in B.C.
Click to expand...

I'm all for using every available method to generate power. This method should be more widespread, but has been in use for decades.

In areas where water flow is not variable, it works great.

I have a member of the extended family who has a family lodge in the remote areas of the Sierras. When it's accessible in the spring and summer, all the electricity is generated by an identical system as detailed in the article. To generate power, they simply open the valve at the intake, or shut the diversion valve nearer the water turbine generator so it flows through it.

This system was installed in 1934 and works great. It's been upgraded over the years, but it's still the same principle and result.
 
ocean515 said:
I'm all for using every available method to generate power. This method should be more widespread, but has been in use for decades.

In areas where water flow is not variable, it works great.

I have a member of the extended family who has a family lodge in the remote areas of the Sierras. When it's accessible in the spring and summer, all the electricity is generated by an identical system as detailed in the article. To generate power, they simply open the valve at the intake, or shut the diversion valve nearer the water turbine generator so it flows through it.

This system was installed in 1934 and works great. It's been upgraded over the years, but it's still the same principle and result.
Click to expand...

Sounds like they were way ahead of their time!
 
DaveFagan said:
It requires serious mountain terrain. Maybe Colorado, W. Virginia, Oregon and the like.
Click to expand...

West Virginia is in the bottom 10% of states with renewables, probably because of their history with coal. Sounds like a good opportunity for some jobs for displaced coal workers.
 
Media_Truth said:
Sounds like they were way ahead of their time!
Click to expand...

I guess they were. The "lodge" is rather amazing. Built by their industrialist great grandfather, it's a 5,000 sq. ft two story log cabin with 8 bedrooms, multiple baths, etc..

The point is, this single water turbine generator powers the whole thing, plus the two story care takers cabin. The key is the Kaweah River flowing through the property, and the extreme elevation change where it's located.

Rather clever and efficient. Such systems should be more prevalent, as they don't require batteries are any other stored energy other than what is present in the flowing water.
 
Media_Truth said:
I ran across this article today. Sounds like this technology has a lot of potential to be used in more and more hilly areas, with less environmental impact than hydroelectricity.

30. How it works: Run-of-river hydroelectric power - Green Energy Futures

The Fitzsimmons Creek project is a 7.5-megawatt power plant right in the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and it produces enough power to cover the annual energy consumption of the site. Not too bad when you consider its 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, numerous snow-making machines and other buildings and services.
...
Run-of-river is growing fast in British Columbia. There are currently 45 different operations totaling 858 megawatts in capacity with several more on the way. One of the bigger players is Innergex, a Quebec-based company with 11 operational run-of-river projects in B.C.
Click to expand...

That is a good way to create power and maintain a low environmental impact. However, you have no storage for seasonal variations like a normal dam, and the power generation will be subject to some harsh throttling at times.

I like what is done. It simply has similar unreliability as wind. Just on a longer cycle.
 
DaveFagan said:
It requires serious mountain terrain. Maybe Colorado, W. Virginia, Oregon and the like.
Click to expand...


Yes, but it can be done where convention dams are not practical.

I never looked into the details, but I think they put one paralleling the Bull Run here in Oregon, near Mt. Hood.
 
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