×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

selling excess power

selling excess power

selling excess power

(OP)
I have an idea that could produce 500kw excess power
at times. How large (physicaly) would a generator of
that size be? How much would it cost? Can I use the
generator as a brake by varying the output load?
Would the r.p.m. need to be constant in order to match
phase with the utility? Are there any programs sponsored
by utilities (or anyone else) that would help
technically?, financialy? I think my idea is valid but
I don't have the resources to see it through.

RE: selling excess power

I suggest that you search the web for generator data, there is a lot of information out there.  Also, check your local utility's website or call them for specifics on any non-utility generation programs that they may have, also their policy on power purchase.
Just to give you a frame of reference for visuallizing what's involved, a 500 kW induction generator could be around the size of an office desk and weigh somewhere around 5-6000 lb, depending on the operating voltage.
When you operate in parallel with the utility grid, the speed is set by the grid frequency, the only influence that your generator will have is how much power (real and rective) you generate.
You will also need to consider whether you need a synchronous or induction type generator, which influences the interaction with the grid.

RE: selling excess power

One example of interconnection requirements of an independent power producer and a utility is covered at: http://www.pge.com/customer_services/business/tariffs/doc/ER21.doc The requirements are fairly complex, but it’s done a lot in some areas.  See: http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/backgrounder.html [Note that 500kW = 0.5MW]
An example of a the process with a US Government facility is at: http://www.wapa.gov/interconn/intsteps.htm

RE: selling excess power

Thanks guys for the info & links, they will keep
me busy for a while!

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources