RICHLAND -- Richland's city electric utility is working to add solar power to its grid.
The renewable power source will help fulfill a requirement of Initiative 937 passed by state voters in 2006. The clean energy initiative requires an electric utility with 25,000 or more customers to use "eligible renewable resources" to meet a portion of its load -- 3 percent by 2012, 9 percent by 2016 and 20 percent by 2020.
The city has taken a major step toward that goal by partnering with the Port of Benton, the Tri-Cities Research District and Kennewick's Infinia Corp. to establish a solar project on 10 acres near First Street and Stevens Drive in Richland. The port land has leased the site to the city for $1 a year for 20 years.
A ground breaking ceremony was held Thursday for the project.
The pilot project involves setting up 12 to 15 solar power generators made by Infinia -- the first-ever commercial installation of the Kennewick company's 3-kilowatt PowerDish -- which will be connected to the city's power grid. The PowerDish generators use concentrated sunlight with Infinia's free-piston Stirling engine to generate electricity.
The project will demonstrate how solar power can be harnessed effectively to reduce dependence on any single source of power, said U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash.
"The diversification of power sources is a good idea," Hastings said. "We need to have pilot projects for other energy sources as well."
The demonstration system is expected to be functional by fall, said J.D. Sitton, Infinia's president and chief executive officer. It will generate 45 kilowatts, enough to take care of the energy needs of up to eight homes, he said.
The pilot project will show Infinia technology works and that "we are commercially available," Sitton said. There's room for adding hundreds of Infinia's PowerDish systems at the site, he said.
The Hanford site gets enough sunlight that it could generate power equal to 16 nuclear plants, each generating about 1,100 megawatts, Sitton said. One nuclear plant can supply enough power to meet the needs of Seattle.
The Richland project will show how to make the Tri-Cities a green area, said Raymon D. Sieler, Richland Energy Services director.
The city will spend $350,000 for site improvement and to buy and install Infinia's PowerDish systems, Sieler said. The project will pave the way to integrate solar in the city's power grid, which is now largely supported by hydroelectric power, he said.
Gary Spanner, chairman of the Tri-Cities Research District board, called the project a means to promote clean technology. It fits in with the aims of the research district, he said, and there's nothing better than having a local manufacturer bring the clean tech concept to reality.
The research district, which adjoins the solar project area, plans to buy a few additional PowerDish systems for the project, Spanner said.
-- Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com
Similar stories:
DOE looks at expanding research of small nuclear reactors
DOE looks at expanding research of small nuclear reactors
RICHLAND -- Research will be moving forward this year toward development and design certification of small modular nuclear reactors, said Peter Lyons, the Department of Energy assistant secretary of nuclear energy.
Lyons, the primary policy adviser to Energy Secretary Steven Chu on nuclear energy research and international nuclear activities, visited Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland on Tuesday and then spoke at a meeting of the Eastern Washington Chapter of the American Nuclear Society.
While no one source alone can meet increasing demand for electricity, both in the United States and also in developing countries, nuclear energy must be part of the mix as a clean and reliable source, he said.
Wind power subsidies divide Congress
Wind power subsidies divide Congress
WASHINGTON -- Washington sometimes has too much of a good thing: power.
In a state that relies heavily on water and wind for its electricity, Mother Nature can be too generous. That creates headaches for energy producers.
Wind producers are irked that the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency, can cut off wind generation when there is a surge in river flows, resulting in too much hydropower. The agency took that step several times during a two-month period earlier this year.
Program helps pick site for renewable energy generation
Program helps pick site for renewable energy generation
Sunshine and wind are two things we know well in the Tri-Cities and beyond. My own back yard is a perpetual vortex of breezy fun to the point that it almost seems silly not to harness it for something useful. But I recently learned that when we are talking about building renewable energy generation capacity, it is not quite as simple as, "If you build it, they will come."
In fact, according to renewable energy expert and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researcher John DeSteese, there are several criteria that make a piece of property suitable for this kind of development. DeSteese and his team recently completed an assessment regarding the use of specific land for renewable power generation through PNNL's Technology Assistance Program.
The program provides small businesses with up to a week of researcher time for free help with specific technical questions or challenges. This particular project focused on wind and solar power generation.
Lab wins DOE grants for projects
Lab wins DOE grants for projects
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers will lead three projects after winning a Department of Energy grant competition to find projects to dramatically improve how the U.S. produces and uses energy.
The grants total $3.8 million and were awarded by DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy.
One of the PNNL projects will explore improvements to storing heat from sources such as concentrated solar or nuclear power, which can then be released to generate electricity or be used to warm buildings.
PNNL studies storing wind power underground
PNNL studies storing wind power underground
A Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientist is looking deep underground to give wind power the flexibility that could make it more practical.
In a joint project of the Department of Energy national lab in Richland and Bonneville Power Administration, Pete McGrail is looking at the possibility of using the volcanic rock beneath Eastern Washington to store energy.
"This particular storage technology is a long shot," said Steve Knudsen, BPA account executive. But the potential benefits to the Northwest power system are significant enough to make it worth pursuing, he said.
Print
Email Story
