INDUSTRY NEWS VIEWPOINT e Continued from p 114
government regulations, and with nuclear energy under negative scrutiny following Japan’s disastrous Tohoku earthquake, renewable energy makes even more sense. Cities and towns across the nation and around the world are taking another look at clean, local power, be it hydroelectric, wind or solar. Allegan’s original dynamo made good,
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consistent electricity using just 12 feet of water, illustrating the kind of potential available in water power. That situation obtains in thousands of places in most states, where dams and weirs already are in place for flood control, and a great many of them once provided hydropower as well. The newest generations of hydroelectric turbines are efficient and practical, available in sizes and capacities for any conceivable application. In England, even the British Royal Family has installed large hydroelectric systems at Windsor Castle as part of its ongoing green initiative; and towns across England are looking into hydropower using the latest technology and that island’s copious rainfall that feeds hundreds of rivers and streams. With the coming nationwide “smart grid,” nothing would stand in the way of local
The best aspect of hydropower is that it’s consistent, not relying on changeable winds or intermittent sunshine.
municipal hydropower, wind or solar installations feeding energy to the grid for distribution to the community. There could come a time when the grid augments local power, rather than vice versa. Environmental considerations are manageable, as most of those old dams have been in place for decades and the environmental impact has been
“amortized” — in other words, the damage was done long ago and the local ecology adjusted, for better or worse. The best aspect of hydropower is that it’s
consistent, not relying on changeable winds or intermittent sunshine. It’s not practical for places prone to drought like the Southwest, but there solar power is more feasible. What does this have to do with you? Regular
readers of Phc News know that we devote a great deal of space to energy efficiency as applied to heating, domestic hot water and air conditioning. Solar energy forms the backbone for much of the green technology featured in these pages, but it ties in with other green energy initiatives. It’s all aimed at reducing our nation’s dependence on fossil energy and saving energy costs for consumers. Hydropower installations incorporate lots of PVF components, and the knowledge necessary to properly specify and install those components lies within the purview of the contractor. Mainly, it’s another aspect of an ongoing effort to convince a skeptical public that clean energy is not only feasible, but practical and, in the long run, necessary. ;
Jim Schaible is managing editor for PHCNEWSand sister publication THEWHOLESALER.
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