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Bringing Power to the People. A solution for bringing electricity to remote locations. 10,000 Homes without electricity. Current means for alternatives Refrigeration Ice box Nearest ice supply 30 miles away. Gasoline Generators for Electricity
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BringingPower to the People A solution for bringing electricity to remote locations.
10,000 Homes without electricity. • Current means for alternatives • Refrigeration • Ice box • Nearest ice supply 30 miles away. • Gasoline Generators for Electricity • Expensive ( $0.75/kilowatt-hour), Noisy, Emissions, Relatively low efficiency. • Heating • Firewood, Kerosene Heaters • Kerosene is not a clean burning fuel, and can be a fire hazard. • Lighting • Kerosene lamps, Candles, Fire • Not bright enough, toxic emissions, fire hazards.
Do Nothing • Imagine living without electricity in the 21st century. • No lights • No internet • No appliances • Current means of electricity generation are expensive and alternatives are efficient or safe.
Cost of Power Lines • It costs $500,000-$3,000,000/mile to bury cable, depending on soil conditions and other factors. • It costs $120,000/mile to install overhead power lines. • Some houses on the reservation are not near any other houses. The cost of running power lines to one house or even a group of houses that are isolated by miles of open space gets expensive very quickly. • Overhead power lines are not visually appealing and buried power lines lead to soil disruption and erosion.
Build a Power Plant • Very Expensive • Does not eliminate the cost of a grid • Fossil Fuel • Emissions • Reliance on fossil fuels
Sacred Power Inc. • A Native-American owned company based out of Albuquerque. • Works with the Navajo Nation, US Dept. of Agriculture, and US Dept. of Interior to bring power to remote locations in the Navajo Reservation. • In 2002, Sacred Power Inc, got a $607,000 contract with the Dept. of Interior for 16 mobile hybrid power systems ($37,937.50/unit).
SP 1200 Stand-alone PV-Hybrid System • 14 feet long, 10 feet high • Constructed on wheels or skids. • Built in solar tracking array for maximum efficiency. • Solar collection batteries for energy storage. • Back-up, high grade propane generator w/ 1 month supply tank. • Maintenance free components. • Capable of providing a continuous output of 2.5 kilowatts/hour under normal conditions for the area. • 2.5 kW/h x 1h x 24 hours/day x 30 days/month • 1800 kWh/month. • Cost of operation is about $0.50/kWh. • Some emissions from burning propane (much cleaner than gasoline).
Renewable Success • 2001, Sacred Power Inc. got a $431,000 contract to design and build a solar power system that can be used for teaching. • 2002, Sacred Power Inc. got a $588,000 contract for 12 solar telecommunications shelters for remote locations. • 4 employees • Subcontract some work • Built a new 7500 square foot manufacturing facility
Renewable Success Cont. • 2005, Sacred Power Inc, was awarded an $825,000 grant to build and deliver 50 new solar/wind hybrid units to remote homes on the Navajo Reservation. ($16,500/unit) • No propane required • Enough electricity to power a highly efficient refrigerator and lighting system (supplied by Sacred Power), and a small appliance. • Operational cost is $0.
Cheaper from 2002 to 2005 • From $37,937.50 /unit for the propane/solar hybrid • To $16,500.00 /unit for the wind/solar hybrid system • Wind turbine much cheaper than the high grade propane generator, but has lower power output. • Production is much cheaper since in 2002, Sacred Power opened its own manufacturing facility.
Ranking Alternatives • Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems • Cheap, clean, no grid access needed, sustainable. • Power lines • Added stress on existing power generation facilities (drives cost up). • Power generation • Renewable energy source (biomass, wind, solar) • Fossil Fuel power plant. • Do nothing