From a story by Justin Guay, Sierra Club International Program:
Of course they still have to face the problems they have inherited from trying to copy/paste a centralized grid from the West. So what can they do to solve peak problems with the grid they already have in place? Deploy lots and lots of distributed solar and efficiency.
That's because, unlike coal, solar for the most part is available when you need it - during peak hours. Which is why it's great to see States like Gujarat taking the lead in roof top solar programs with the support of the IFC. And efficiency makes the peaks smaller so you need less power in the first place.
The irony here of course is that distributed generation has always been ignored as trivial compared to the real need for a large scale 'modern grid.' That’s because policymakers and commentators lack the imagination to understand the fact that when aggregated, small can be very, very big.
Take the hidden truth behind India's modern grid (as my colleague Jigar Shah points out): it is actually already a distributed system that is largely powered by filthy, costly diesel gen sets. That’s because power outages are so frequent that businesses and wealthy individuals have been forced to pay for this backup generation to ensure power. This is a tremendous opportunity for companies seeking targeted diesel replacement strategies to save people and companies tremendous amounts of money, while providing reliable power.
Showing posts with label Generation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Generation. Show all posts
India's Blackout Lesson: Coal Failed, Small Solar = Big Results
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`Central Wisconsin,
Coal,
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State investigates shutdowns at new coal plant
Labels:
`Central Wisconsin,
Coal,
Generation
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
State utility regulators are reviewing the extent of a steam-generator tube problem with the coal-fired power plant that opened last year near Wausau.
The power plant experienced unexpected shutdowns late last year and early this year, with more expected this year to address the problem, according to the state Public Service Commission.
Wisconsin Public Service Corp. opened the $773 million power plant, the first coal plant built in the state in a generation, in June 2008.
At issue is whether WPS is eligible to pass along the cost of power it had to purchase late last year when the coal plant wasn't running.
Tim LeMonds, a spokesman for the Public Service Commission, said the steam generating tubes at the power plant have a tendency to clog, and the plant needs to take measures to keep the pipes clean to avoid future clogging.
Dennis Derricks, WPS director of electric regulatory policy, said the problem is a routine start-up issue that the company is addressing with the company that built the power plant, Babcock & Wilcox. According to Derricks, the power plant is still projected to operate 92% of the time, as the utility had projected when it proposed the plant.
The plant, one of two major coal plants built in the state, was recognized with industry awards including Plant of the Year by Power Magazine, an industry trade publication, and 2008 Best Coal-Fired Project by Power Engineering magazine.
Derricks said clogging isn't the best way to describe the problem. The tubes have an exfoliation problem that is common across the industry and is expected to improve this year.
"The outages going forward are to manage the amount of material that flakes off," he said. "The tubes are expected to season themselves and develop a coating over them" that helps address the problem, according to Derricks.
State utility regulators are reviewing the extent of a steam-generator tube problem with the coal-fired power plant that opened last year near Wausau.
The power plant experienced unexpected shutdowns late last year and early this year, with more expected this year to address the problem, according to the state Public Service Commission.
Wisconsin Public Service Corp. opened the $773 million power plant, the first coal plant built in the state in a generation, in June 2008.
At issue is whether WPS is eligible to pass along the cost of power it had to purchase late last year when the coal plant wasn't running.
Tim LeMonds, a spokesman for the Public Service Commission, said the steam generating tubes at the power plant have a tendency to clog, and the plant needs to take measures to keep the pipes clean to avoid future clogging.
Dennis Derricks, WPS director of electric regulatory policy, said the problem is a routine start-up issue that the company is addressing with the company that built the power plant, Babcock & Wilcox. According to Derricks, the power plant is still projected to operate 92% of the time, as the utility had projected when it proposed the plant.
The plant, one of two major coal plants built in the state, was recognized with industry awards including Plant of the Year by Power Magazine, an industry trade publication, and 2008 Best Coal-Fired Project by Power Engineering magazine.
Derricks said clogging isn't the best way to describe the problem. The tubes have an exfoliation problem that is common across the industry and is expected to improve this year.
"The outages going forward are to manage the amount of material that flakes off," he said. "The tubes are expected to season themselves and develop a coating over them" that helps address the problem, according to Derricks.
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