The Opportunity
Fast-flowing water has great power. The energy (kW/m2)
increases as the cube of the velocity (V3)
in meters per second (m/s). Faster currents have much more
power. A current of 3 m/s or 6 mph has about 13 kW/m2
of energy. In this stream a hydrokinetic turbine that is 40%
efficient can make about 5 kW of power from one square meter (about 3x3
ft) of flow. This is enough power for two modern American homes,
from a device the size of an office desk.
In-Stream
Hydrokinetic Turbines that produce 5-20 kW have been demonstrated
for at least 30 years by various developers (click link for more
information). But the developers have not created successful
technology companies because of lack of experience, poor technology
designs, and trying to scale up to large systems before they perfect the
small ones. Hydrovolts has the experience, new turbine technology
and the market focus to create the first successful global business for
renewable energy generation from free-flowing water.
Market Size
A 1986 study by New York University of free-flow river power
in the USA estimated conservatively that there is 12,500 MW of undeveloped
capacity for energy. This is worth about $10 billion in electricity sales
today. The study criteria were:
- Only rivers with mean flow rate > 4000 cfs and velocities
> 4.3 ft/s
- Only 25% of width is available
- Only 25% of the length of a river reach
- Turbine diameter = 80% of mean depth
- Turbine spacing of ½ diameter and row spacing = 5
diameters
- 40% turbine efficiency
The study did not consider smaller rivers and canals where
Hydrovolts turbines can also generate renewable energy. The market just in
the USA is thus many thousands of megawatts larger that the NYU estimate.
Suitably fast flows are
found in regions with high altitudes and snow packs, large rainstorms or
significant rainy seasons such as monsoons, or
where large flows go through narrow channels. In the latter case, it is
where there are high tides or seasonal rainfall or timed releases of water
from reservoirs and dams into irrigation canals.
The US
Department of Energy has already studied the sites in the USA where there are
untapped sources for hydropower. The study was based on head or
elevation change and flow volume and is not directly suitable for estimating
velocities, but it many places where our turbines could be installed. This study does not include irrigation
canals unless they are very large, so there are many more places than identified
in the study.
The DoE identifies at least 3,000 significant feasible sites
for untapped micro-hydropower, with about 2,000 MW of potential energy.
This is worth about $2 billion a year at current electricity prices.
The DoE created the Virtual Hydropower Prospector to identify
sites where hydropower remains untapped in the USA.
Try it. To see a map of the sites in King County, Washington, the home
of Hydrovolts, click
here. In fact
our state has the most feasible untapped
hydropower in the USA - see the
Main
Report from the DoE. The Electric Power Research Institute is now conducting a
study of potential in-river energy sites as described in this
Briefing.
Irrigation canals are major opportunity for renewable
energy generation. They
are engineered and usually free of endangered species and
large floating objects. The USA has about 100,000 miles of large
irrigation canals, according to the
US Dept of
Agriculture. There are millions of miles of canals around the world.
During rainy seasons and seasonal snow melt they are rushing with water.
Globally, the
Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations promotes irrigation around
the world and has databases of canals, flows, communities and much more.
Canals are constructed, therefore there are professional societies of engineers,
water transporters and others who know where the high flows and best sites are
located.
We are confident there is a market for at least 500,000
Hydrovolts turbines based. In large rivers it can be
deployed in large numbers per project, still at low cost.
Global Demand
The demand for energy continues to increase around the world.
World marketed energy consumption is projected to increase by
57 percent from 2004 to
2030. This
projection does not include the impact of electric cars - plug-in hybrids and
other electric vehicles could drastically increase electricity use. To
meet this demand much more energy must be produced and most of it will come from
petroleum, coal and nuclear power. This creates new concerns about climate
change and increasing demands for renewable energy sources that create
significant opportunities for Hydrovolts in-stream turbines.
Sustainable Development: Around the world
governments, energy utilities and power companies, and communities are
looking for energy sources everywhere. For developing countries
with rural communities the need for renewable energy is critical and
even a few kilowatts is enough for lighting, refrigeration,
communication and other development needs.
Renewable Power Standards: In the USA and other
developed countries the commercial power utilities are increasingly directed by
Renewable Portfolio Standards required to include a certain percentage of
renewable energy in their portfolios. For example in our home state of
Washington the utilities are required to obtain 15% of their energy by 2020 from
renewable sources or to buy renewable energy credits for the same amount.
Utilities will pay a small premium for renewable energy.
Renewable Energy Certificates: These certificates
can be earned and sold separately by renewable energy producers. This
earns additional revenue. The development of this market is stimulated by
organizations like the
Green Power
Network.
Net Metering: This
national activity allows small distributed generators such as irrigation
districts using the Hydrovolts turbines to sell the renewable power directly
into the commercial electricity grid and run their electric meter backward, thus
saving or even making new money. The key benefit is that a quite high
price is paid for the first small amount of electricity - up to $0.50/kW for the
first $2000 worth of energy generated.
State Renewable Energy Incentives: These are
increasing in states and even local municipalities. The
Database of State Renewable
Energy Incentives has details. These increase the value of Hydrovolts
small turbines.
