PROJECT GOALS and RESULTS

The Goal of the White Mountain Energy Project is to improve energy quality and reliability, increase safety, reduce costs, and test innovative technologies at WMRS field stations. The first phase of this project will be to assess the energy situation at the upper field station at Barcroft (and secondarily, Crooked Creek). The current energy situation at Barcroft is problematic for several reasons:

• Electricity bills are very large, totaling approximately $15,000 in 2002. Much of the electricity is used to heat buildings, an expensive and inefficient use of electricity.
• The power distribution system from the buried power lines run independently to four distribution points. Running backup power from the main station out to these points is not currently supported.
• Certain users of the station require 3-phase current. This is not currently available.
• The electrical service is unreliable and difficult to repair, causing serious safety concerns in winter. Power surges and voltage changes damage electronic equipment.

To carry out this project, WMRS has teamed up with Professor Scott Samuelsen and graduate students (Jim Meacham, Jim Maclay, Patrick Couch and Ryan Gaylord) in the Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at UC Irvine.

• The project team has monitored power consumption at Barcroft and Crooked creek, analyzed energy needs via monitoring and simulation, researched energy alternatives, and set up a photovoltaics test bed on the Barcroft Pace Lab roof. Some of their recommendations are shown above.
• The team has also developed a phased strategy for implementation which allows for incremental improvements depending upon funding and time constraints.
• In April 2005, WMRS submitted a proposal to the Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSML) Improvement Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) for funding the core systems of the WMEP, including a hydronic heating system, backup microturbine generators, and a solar photovoltaic system.
• Soon, WMRS and APEP will apply for funds to upgrade the renewable energy systems capacity (e.g. wind and solar), and to install a monitoring and controls test bed for testing new energy generation technologies and control systems at high elevation.
  

photo ©paul kennedy

Simulations indicate that WMEP will create many benefits for Barcroft operations:

• Triple redundancy for space heating, providing an important safety margin for winter operations.
• Triple redundancy for electrical service, with a battery-backed system for core electrical functions such as lighting, propane heating and communications.
• Capability to keep station open all winter using stored propane and environmental energy sources
• Capability of going off-grid completely when buried line fails permanently
• Modular design facilitates later upgrades in capacity and energy source, including experimental sources such as fuel cells, hydrogen generators, etc.
• Capacity to add wind turbines, solar PV and solar hydronic modules to provide clean, renewable energy generation. As these capabilities are added the propane costs and electric bills will decrease
• The new energy sources will provide high quality “clean” electric power
• Reduction in overall energy costs of 20% or more, potentially reaching 90% savings
• The new system will provide a platform for energy systems research, education and public interpretation.
• Reliability and efficiency increase as each component is added – synergy causes the whole to be greater than the sum of the individual components. The key to this synergy is the parallel operation of thermal water storage, battery electric storage, and programmable control systems. When connected to the commercial power grid, the ability to reverse-meter power also results in cost savings.
  

Schematic diagram showing proposed WMEP intallation at Barcroft (pdf version)

Schematic diagram showing proposed controls system for WMEP

ANALYSIS

Example of power monitoring data from 2004. This kind of detailed record is used for simulating power demand scenarios under different conditions.

In October 2004, we simulated winter heating demand by turning electric heaters on and off. For example, the simulation began at 8 am and ramped up to full capacity at around 9:30.

The APEP team has developed a quantitative dynamic simulation model which illustrates the costs and benefits of integrating distributed energy resources into the system.

The simulations show that the proposed system can readily convert to a permanent off-grid system. This is important as our grid connection is aging, and replacement would be prohibitively expensive.

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Microturbine Generators are low-maintenance, low emissions, and co-generate hot water for high overall efficiency Below: Capstone Model C-30 (photo: Capstone Turbine Corporation)

Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Panel mounted on roof of Pace Lab in April 2005. This test panel survived the winter and remained snow-free since October 2004, showing the utility of using flexible panels on the Pace Lab roof. WMEP calls for nearly complete coverage of the south-facing roof.

The APEP team is investigating wind as an energy source for Barcroft, but certain issues need to be resolved before this type of energy can be captured. WMEP calls for installation of a demonstration “Turby” unit to be sited at the Pace lab.

This schematic shows a model hydronic heating system like the one that will be installed at Barcroft. The hot water storage is planned to be much larger (4-6,000 gallons) and solar hydronic panels will be added as funds become available. At the heart of the system are two propane-powered “Munchkin” boilers that are highly efficient at all demand levels.