POWER INDUSTRY NEWS
October 8, 2010
Federal Agency Approves Ivanpah Solar Project in California's Mojave Desert
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 10/08/2010 - 8:24am
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has approved a giant solar power plant in California that will generate 370 megawatts of electricity and 1,100 new jobs.
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System will be the first large-scale solar energy project on U.S. public lands to use "power tower" technology, in which huge mirrors called heliostats focus sunlight onto a soaring tower to turn water into steam that can spin a turbine-generator to produce electricity.
“Ivanpah is one of several renewable energy projects in the pipeline that will help California and this nation build a clean-energy economy,” Mr. Salazar said in signing the Record of Decision granting a right of way for the project, to be built off Interstate 15 near the Nevada state line. "With this project, we are making great strides toward meeting the president's goals for creating new jobs for American workers, reducing carbon emissions, promoting energy independence and strengthening our national security."
The Ivanpah project joins other landmark announcements from the Interior Department this week as part of the administration’s effort to encourage what it says is "a rapid and responsible" move to large-scale production of renewable energy on public lands. On Oct. 5, Mr. Salazar approved the first two solar energy projects ever to be built on public lands.
POWER PLANT TRAINING
POWER PLANT SYSTEMS OPERATIONS
The three solar projects combined would have the capacity at peak daylight times to produce 1,124 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 337,000 to 843,000 homes. The decision Thursday authorizes Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management to offer the development company, BrightSource, a right-of-way grant to use the public property for 30 years if all rents and other conditions are met. The site is in the Mojave Desert, near the gambling resort of Primm, Nev.
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, renewable energy developers whose projects begin construction by the end of 2010 can apply for payments of up to 30 percent of the eligible costs of the project. Also under the Recovery Act, BrightSource has been awarded $1.37 billion in conditional loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Energy for the project.
The Ivanpah complex will include three solar thermal power plants, each with a 459-foot-tall power tower. Construction of all three phases is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
The project's environmental reviews began with public scoping in November 2007, followed by a draft environment impact statement and public involvement in November 2009, and a supplemental draft environmental impact statement in April 2010. A final environmental report was issued in August 2010.
The Bureau of Land Management altered the BrightSource proposal in response to public comments. The bureau reduced the size of the project by 15 percent, from 4,073 acres to 3,471 acres and the number of heliostats from 214,000 to 173,500.
The company must also compensate for effects on wildlife, water and other resources through at compensation fund created by federal and state agencies and operated by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. To satisfy federal and state requirements, BrightSource will acquire more than 7,300 acres to be protected as conservation land. Desert tortoises found at the site are to be tested for disease, removed to a comparable habitat and monitored. As part of a desert tortoise conservation plan, the Bureau of Land Management has set aside more than 3 million acres of habitat in California over the years.
The Ivanpah project and its power towers will be readily visible to the constant stream of vehicle drivers and passengers who use Interstate 15 to travel between the Los Angeles and San Diego areas and Las Vegas.
Electricity from the plant is to be sold to the nation's two largest single power companies: Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison, which together cover much of the state.
First Solar Plans Huge Chinese Plant
09 September 2009
First Solar said it plans to build the world's largest solar plant in China, the first major project by a US company in the country.
Under a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government, First Solar will build a 2GW power plant – enough to power about 3 million Chinese households – at Ordos City, Inner Mongolia.
The company said it may also build a new manufacturing plant in China.
The announcement comes as the solar industry struggles to emerge from a year-long slump that saw financing for new projects dry up and reduced subsidies in Spain create a glut of unsold cells and panels, according to Reuters.
First Solar will begin constructing a 30MW demonstration project in June 2010 in Ordos. The second and third phases will require 100MW and 870MW projects that will be completed in 2014. A final 1,000MW installation will be finished in 2019.
The project is part of China's programme to generate 10% of its energy from renewable resources by 2010 and 15% by 2020 to help meet its growing energy needs
New Energy Trading Markets—ISOs redesign ancillary services markets.
Reducing the price of electricity has a cost, often expressed in the form of lower revenues for power plant operators—after they have invested in upgraded connections to the system operator linking them to power purchasers.
That’s what is happening now across the 15 Midwestern states and one Canadian province where the power transmission system is operated by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, commonly called the Midwest ISO.
Lower power plant revenues are one result of the ancillary services markets (ASM) the ISO has developed over the last three years to meet federal regulatory concerns about the system’s short-term reliability and the ability of the ISO to retain independent control of the transmission system. Specifically, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said it was concerned about the ability of the 24 balancing authorities within the Midwest ISO to re-dispatch power plant operation.
Midwest ISO ASM initiative
In 2004, the commission told the ISO to replace its system of 24 local managers and eventually consolidate their functions into the ISO’s operations. In March 2005, the Midwest ISO members—including utility-owned and independent power plants, transmission owners, power marketers and brokers, power buyers such as utilities and co-ops, and state regulators—met to discuss ways to meet FERC’s requirements.
Their initial effort was rejected without prejudice by FERC, which accepted a revision in February 2008, stating that the proposal “incorporates, and in some cases improves upon, ASM design features that have worked successfully in other … ISOs, including the PJM Interconnection (which serves 13 mid-Atlantic states), the New York ISO, ISO New England and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.”
“This is a significant step to improve power markets in the Midwest,” FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher said at the time.
“FERC recently proposed changes to strengthen competition in organized electric markets, including improvements in demand response,” said Kelliher. “The ancillary services market provides a greater opportunity for price competition from demand response and will improve efficiency and reliability in this broad region,” which extends from Pittsburgh, Pa., to eastern Montana and up into Manitoba.
FERC noted in its statement that its order moves the region “from cost-based rates to market-based rates.”
Roy Jones, the ISO’s executive director of the ASM Initiative, explained that the approved ASM design creates a market in the marginal resources that determine the reliability of the electricity flow carried over the region’s transmission lines. This makes it possible for the Midwest ISO to carry out its FERC-mandated take-over of the balancing authorities’ responsibilities while increasing the efficiency of the ISO’s existing day-ahead and real-time energy markets, Jones said in an interview.
The increased efficiency, in turn, is expected to minimize costs and provide “net annual benefits of between $115 and $205 million,” the ISO said in a March news release, which also announced that the effort’s launch had been delayed to Sept. 9 from the June 1 start-up expected in FERC’s late February approval order.
“While we were hoping to meet the target launch date of June 1, there were a number of factors that we took into consideration when establishing the new target launch date,” T. Graham Edwards, chief executive of the ISO, explained in the statement.
“As I have said many times, we would not launch until all of the key parties are ready.”
In the statement, Jones expressed pleasure “with the level of accomplishments that have been completed by the Midwest ISO stakeholders and staff to date … I am confident that the stakeholders and staff will continue to work together to achieve the new target launch date.”
According to the statement, the ISO is currently determining the estimated costs to complete the project and the analysis will include finalizing testing schedules and adding further parallel operations tests and system operations tests to ensure readiness and full tariff compliance. Its ASM “will integrate the buying and selling of regulation and contingency reserves with the existing markets” for electricity within the ISO.
The ISO explained that “Regulation” refers to the moment-to-moment changes in generation that are necessary to meet changes in electrical demand. “Contingency Reserves” refer to additional generating capacity of a generator, which is either on-line or can be brought on-line within 10 minutes to offset the impact of major events such as the loss of a large generating unit or transmission line.
New software: FERC-mandated ICCP
Elaborating on the ISO’s statement, Jones said there are actually two types of contingency reserves: spinning—a generator already in motion that can actually have electricity flowing through the grid within 10 minutes, and supplemental—a quick-start power plant that can be started up and brought on line almost as quickly. He said the ability of plant operators to offer these services and actual power delivery in five-minute segments is one of the efficiencies built into the Midwest ISO ASM.
For the market, this efficiency means reduced revenues for the plants offering the services, which now will market—and be paid for—these reliability services when actually needed instead of the longer standby periods necessary when the services had to be provided for each of the 24 regions represented by the old balancing authorities. To participate in the reduced revenue flow, each of the plants needs new computer software to link with what FERC spokesperson Barbara Connors described as the new software developed by the Midwest ISO to simultaneously co-optimize energy and reserve markets.
To bridge the gap between the existing control software that operates each power plant and the software developed by each ISO to control its ASM, FERC has mandated the use of ICCP, “inter-control center communications protocol,” a standardized communications technology providing data exchange between utility control centers, power pools, ISOs and power plants.
Two power plants operating in the Midwest ISO, Kinder Morgan in Jackson, Mich., and the Fox Energy Center in Kaukauna, Wis., are using the LiveData RTI Server (for real-time integration) from LiveData Inc. as their ICCP communications technology, according to LiveData Chief Executive Officer Jeff Robbins.
The Fox Energy Center, built by Calpine Corp. in 2004 and 2005 at a cost of $430 million, is a 560 MW, natural gas-fired combined-cycle facility that supplies electricity to Wisconsin Public Service Corp., a subsidiary of Integrys Energy. Built with financing from GE Commercial Finance Energy Services, the Fox Energy Center was sold to GE Energy Financial Services in October 2006 and is operated by another business unit of GE, GE Energy. Besides providing the information needed for the Midwest ISO’s ASM, the LiveData RTI Server also enables users to send meter data and receive dispatch and AGC (Automatic Generation Control) signals as the market requires.
The software is also marketed by Invensys, Telvent, Emerson and other leading vendors of power plant control software. The LiveData server acts as a front end gateway to the reseller’s control software.
California and SPP next
Ronald Lambert, LiveData’s senior software engineer, said the company will focus next on power plants affected by the California ISO’s modernization project. California ISO spokesman Gregg Fishman said this effort will help reduce congestion by breaking the three zones now used into several thousand nodes.
California ISO currently has limited ability to deal with transmission congestion within the zones because it can only recognize congestion that limits transmission between the three zones, Fishman noted, adding that the nodal approach of the modernization project will provide a full network model allowing the system operators to “see all the intra-zonal congestion that we now cannot see.”
Another market for ICCP software will be the Southwest Power Pool, according to the Midwest ISO’s Jones, who explained that the SPP is developing an ASM. The SPP controls power transmission in Kansas and Oklahoma, along with parts of New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri. Its website also notes one member in Mississippi.
Author
Jim Brumm’s journalism carrier began when he left the Navy in 1960. He started covering energy at The Oil Daily in the spring of 1973, six months before the price shock known as Arab I. While there, Jim covered FERC’s first step toward deregulation before returning to Reuters’ New York financial desk, where he focused on energy equities until the end of 2001.
A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. to Build & Co-lead Local DG Industry Alliance Supported by Shenyang Government & Joined by Industry Heavyweights
Shenyang Power Group Inauguration Ceremony Scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2009, in Shenyang -
On Thursday May 14, 2009, 9:46 am EDT
19.05.2009 00:20
Energy Outlook Bright for Summer 2009
Third Dry Year in Row, but Supply/Demand Forecast Looks Good
The California Independent System Operator Corporation (California ISO) summer 2009 power forecast shows a lower probability of encountering supply issues this summer when compared to last year. Several factors shape this year’s summer assessment such as new generation added since last summer that more than offsets drought-related reduced hydroelectric production. Also, electricity demand and load growth remains down because of the economy. Meanwhile, energy imports should remain sufficient. The ISO Board of Governors during its regular business meeting today reviewed the 2009 Summer Assessment, which is available on line at www.caiso.com/23ab/23abd69829524.pdf.
”Last year’s summer assessment gave a small 10 percent chance of depending heavily on operating reserves,” said ISO Vice President of Operations Jim Detmers. ”Our projections this year show an even lower likelihood—less than one percent possibility—that conditions would merit severe electrical emergencies.”
The summer outlook shows nearly 1,500 megawatts of new generating capacity coming online by July and a 3 percent reduction in peak demand due mainly to the economic downturn. Power imports into California can vary, but generally, an additional 1,000 megawatts is expected this summer compared to the forecast for imports last year. ”Imports are very important to us,” said Detmers. ”This year, our analysis shows we should have a robust import picture when we need it most.”
The new generation expected this summer includes nine power plants—two of them wind farms with a combined capacity of 153 megawatts as well as a 2 megawatt photovoltaic solar plant. An estimated 22 megawatts of existing generation is scheduled to retire. However, another expected dry year-—the third in a row—could reduce hydroelectric capacity by approximately 1,000 megawatts. Even though spring rains helped fill some reservoirs that generally helped hydroelectric conditions, they are still well below normal levels.
For the first time in many years, the situation in southern California is somewhat better than in northern California because of that region’s dependence on hydroelectricity. Still, the likelihood that either region will see rotating outages this year is extremely low.
In addition to the new generation coming on line this year, the California ISO can now use another important tool quicker than in the past. Interruptible demand response programs refer to customers that reduce their energy consumption under certain adverse conditions. Interruptible program participants include commercial and industrial entities that turn off parts of their operations to pre-designated and agreed upon levels. Residential and small business customers participate in voluntary demand response programs that calls for them to reduce their air conditioning use for short periods of time. In the past, the California ISO could use these programs only after energy reserves started to dip. Now, the ISO can use these programs to prevent reserves from falling below acceptable levels.
”We have almost two thousand megawatts in the utility interruptible programs we can access,” said Detmers. ”We plan to use this very important resource only when we have exhausted the normal market supply.” The utilities can also access several hundred megawatts enrolled in other demand response programs. When utilities plan to use those programs, they inform the ISO through their day-ahead schedules. ”Demand response is becoming more and more important,” Detmers stressed. ”I would urge energy consumers to consider participating in a demand response program that works for their situation.”
Despite this positive forecast for the summer, the California ISO is still urging power consumers to be aware of when and how they use electricity and to look and listen for the possibility of Flex Your Power alerts. ”We don’t expect any shortages this summer,” said ISO Director of Communications Stephanie McCorkle. ”But, there’s never a good time to waste electricity — conserving power and using it in the off-peak hours is good for the environment and good for the grid. Consumers responding to Flex Alerts generate up to 1,000 megawatts of conservation, equal to the output of a large power plant.”
The California ISO operates the state’s wholesale transmission grid, providing open and non-discriminatory access supported by a competitive energy market and comprehensive planning efforts. Partnering with more than 90 client organizations, the ISO is dedicated to the continual development and reliable operation of a modern grid that operates at the least cost to the benefit of consumers. The ISO bulk power market allocates space on transmission lines, maintains operating reserves and matches supply with demand. Recognizing the importance of global climate change, the ISO welcomes new, advanced technologies that will help meet the energy needs of 30 million Californians efficiently and cleanly. The ISO is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation
SHENYANG, China, May 14 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- A-Power Energy Generation Systems, Ltd. (Nasdaq: APWR - News; "A-Power" or "the Company"), a leading provider of distributed power generation ("DG") systems in China and a fast-growing manufacturer of wind turbines, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Liaoning Gaoke Energy Group ("Gaoke"), is leading a government-supported initiative to build a local DG industry alliance, named Shenyang Power Group ("Shenyang Power"), to be joined by other brand-name local power industry conglomerates. A ceremony to inaugurate the formation of Shenyang Power is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2009, starting at 9:30am Beijing time, in the City of Shenyang. Expected attendees include the Communist Party Secretary of Shenyang, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Shenyang, representatives from local power industry companies that are expected to participate in the alliance, as well as A-Power's own senior management team.
The Shenyang Power alliance will have as its CEO Mr. Jinxiang Lu, A-Power's Chairman and CEO, and Gaoke as the lead investor and majority stakeholder. The Shenyang government will fund the alliance through subsidies and provide preferential bank loan terms for any future DG projects undertaken by Shenyang Power. The ultimate goal for Shenyang Power is to create economies of scale by aggregating the potentials of power industry companies, talented individuals as well as natural resources in the local area. The advantages of such an alliance will be most salient in "Total-Responsibility" contracts, which entail the financing, design, procurement, manufacturing, installation, test and maintenance of large-scale, technologically advanced and managerially sophisticated electricity-generation systems both within China and overseas.
In addition to Gaoke, the founding members include Northern Heavy Industry Group (comprising Shenyang Mining Machinery Co. and Shenyang Heavy Machinery Co.), Shenyang Blower Group, Shenyang Boiler Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Liaoning Electricity Design & Planning Institute, Liaoning Construction & Installation Group Co., Ltd., Liaoning International Construction Engineering Group and three major power system manufacturers in Harbin. This collection of firms is a balanced mix of state-owned and non-state-owned enterprises, and their expertise spread across power-system manufacturing, construction, design, accessories, etc.
"A-Power is the proud conceiver and co-planner of the Shenyang Power alliance, and it is very exciting for us to spearhead such an initiative with strong government support," said Mr. Lu. "With Shenyang Power, whose total is greater than sum of parts, we expect to raise the bar of bidding, winning and executing large-scale DG contracts in China and overseas. The City of Shenyang has always enjoyed abundant natural resources and engineering talent, and it has historically been a heavy-industry capital for China. A-Power, with its six years of history in the DG business, is very pleased to build up Shenyang Power with other local power industry giants. By leveraging the alliance's manufacturing expertise, aggregating our bargaining power and developing turn-key solutions for utilities clients, we are confident Shenyang Power will serve as a platform to satisfy the growing needs of DG systems in China and beyond."
Electric Power Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Industry
Industry Hazards
from OSHA
Many of the specific hazards associated with this industry are similar to those found in other large industries. In addition, workers in other industries have experienced electrocution injuries and fatalities from distribution lines, most notably in the telephone and cable industries (see Hazards for Other Workers). The most important hazards associated with the electric power industry are:
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Confined Spaces
- Fires and Explosions
- Sprains, Strains, and Fractures
- Environmental Stress
- Electrocution
Student Safety Manual
Electrical Safety. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Safety and Health Topic. Provides links to in-house and state based fatality investigation reports of incidents in which electrical incidents resulted in worker deaths, NIOSH publications, and other related web sites.
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Studies fatal occupational injuries to prevent occupational fatalities across the nation by identifying and investigating work situations at high risk for injury and then formulating and disseminating prevention strategies to those who may intervene in the workplace. It provides users with access to the full text of hundreds of fatality investigation reports, indexes reports by program, industry and cause of fatality.
Journeyman Wireman Electrocuted After Contacting Energized Switchgear Components at Power Plant--West Virginia. FACE 94-10, (1994). A 53-year-old journeyman wireman was electrocuted when he contacted two energized 6.9 kV buss terminals at a power plant.
Power Substation Worker Falls 12 Feet to His Death After Contacting a 26,000 Volt Power Line. FACE 91-NJ-003-01, (1991, July 23). A 53-year-old electrical substation mechanic suffered a fatal fall after making contact with an energized 26,000-volt power line. The incident occurred when the victim climbed a ladder and attempted to free a jammed switching device. Thinking that the lines were de-energized, the worker was shocked after touching a live electrical conductor, causing him to fall 12 feet to the ground.
Power Company Worker Electrocuted in Underground Utility vault. FACE 8816, (1988). A 35-year-old cable splicer was electrocuted when he contacted an energized pipe that was connected to a 220-volt sump pump.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publications
Preventing Electrocutions by Undetected Feedback Electrical Energy Present in Power Lines. Publication No. 88-104, (1987, December). Cautions workers and employers that undetected feedback electrical energy in power lines is a constant hazard. "Fuzzing," although an accepted practice to check for high voltage in power lines, is not a reliable test method. Once fuzzing has determined that high voltage is not present, low voltage testing equipment, such as a glowing neon light or a light-emitting diode, should be used to determine whether low voltage is present.
Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions of Crane Operators and Crew Members Working Near Overhead Power Lines. Publication No. 95-108, (1995, May). Describes five cases (six electrocutions) that resulted from the hazards of operating cranes near overhead power lines and makes recommendations for preventing similar incidents.
Request for Assistance in Preventing Falls and Electrocutions During Tree Trimming. Publication No. 92-106, (1992, August). Describes eight incidents involving five electrocutions and three fatal falls of tree trimmers. One recommendation made is to notify the utility company when an aerial bucket truck or other boomed vehicle must operate near a power line or when work must be performed within minimum working distances specified by OSHA (see Table 1). The utility company and the employer should then discuss the options for protecting workers: de-energizing and grounding the power lines or covering them with insulating hoses or blankets.
Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions by Undetected Feedback Electrical Energy Present in Power Lines. Publication No. 88-104, (1987, December). Describes two cases of workers who died as a result of feedback electrical energy, which is one cause of occupational electrocutions. Workers must provide proper grounding for the lines. If workers had followed these standards and their companies' standard operating procedures and safety precautions regarding personal protective equipment and grounding, the fatalities described here might have been prevented.
Request for Assistance in Preventing Fatalities of Workers Who Contact Electrical Energy. Publication No. 87-103, (1986, December). Prompt emergency medical care can be lifesaving for workers who have contacted either low voltage or high voltage electric energy. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within approximately 4 minutes followed by advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) within approximately 8 minutes has been shown to save lives.
NIOSH Alert: Preventing Worker Deaths from Uncontrolled Release of Electrical, Mechanical, and Other Types of Hazardous Energy. Publication No. 99-110, (1999 August). Describes five fatal incidents in which workers contacted uncontrolled hazardous energy during installation, maintenance, service, or repair work.
Worker Deaths by Electrocution: A Summary of Surveillance Findings and Investigative Case Reports. Publication No. 98-131, (1998, May). Provides an overview of electrical hazards, including the effects of electrical energy on the human body; a comprehensive summary of the epidemiology of occupational electrocutions based on National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) and Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) data which identifies common risk factors for fatal injury due to contact with electrical energy; and recommendations for elements of an effective electrical safety program for the prevention of workplace electrocutions. Part II includes a summary abstract for all 224 FACE electrocution investigative reports prepared by NIOSH for further information and reference.
Worker Deaths by Falls: A Summary of Surveillance Findings and Investigative Case Reports. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2000-116, (2000, September). Also available as a 2 MB PDF, 334 pages. Reports that falls from elevations were the fourth leading cause of occupational fatalities from 1980 through 1994. The 8,102 deaths due to falls from elevations accounted for 10% of all fatalities and an average of 540 deaths per year. Between 1982 and 1997, NIOSH investigated 90 falls incidents that resulted in 91 fatalities.
A Plant Operator at a Coal Fired Power Generation Plant in Texas, Died When He Fell Between the Bypass Dampers Located in the Flu Gas Disulfurization Unit. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) 98TX23501, (1998, December 28). A 32-year-old plant operator died while performing regularly scheduled maintenance on bypass dampers in the flu gas disulfurization unit at a power generation plant.
Electrician Falls to His Death From an Old Wooden Transformer Platform. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Iowa Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) 981A053, (1998). A 47-year-old city electrical supervisor died from injuries suffered when he fell 25 feet from a wooden utility platform. The transformer platform was not well designed for safe maintenance work. It was too wide to enable accessing the transformers from a bucket, yet it was not built for safe access while standing on the platform.
Lineman Dies from Fall from Utility Pole. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) 8839, (1988). The belt and safety strap worn by the victim would have been adequate to prevent a fall if used, but these were not utilized due to the difficulty in passing the television cable. A second strap, to provide protection until the climber had the primary strap in place above the lower cable, could have prevented this fall. In this incident the victim was only wearing leather (non-insulated) gloves when he contacted the energized line. If insulated gloves and sleeves had been worn, the victim would not have received the electrical shock which contributed to the fatal fall.
33 Year-Old Apprentice Substation Electrician Fatally Injured. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) 8610, (1986). A 33-year-old electrician came into contact with electrical energy while cleaning a substation switch. He died from injuries sustained as a result of falling from the aerial bucket from which he was working. The victim did not have himself belted to the aerial bucket as required. This would have prevented his fall and the injuries sustained in the fall.
For additional information, see OSHA's Fall Protection Safety and Health Topics Page.
Confined Spaces
Worker Deaths in Confined Spaces: A Summary of NIOSH Surveillance and Investigative Findings. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-103, (1994, January). From December 1983 through September 1993, the deaths of 480 workers in 423 incidents were investigated. Seventy of these investigations involved confined spaces where 109 persons died. In 25 of the confined-space incidents, there were multiple fatalities, including those deaths which involved persons attempting rescue.
Preventing Occupational Fatalities in Confined Spaces. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 86-110, (1986, January). The deaths of workers in confined spaces constitute a recurring occupational tragedy; approximately 60% of these fatalities have involved would-be rescuers. NIOSH investigations indicate that workers usually do not recognize that they are working in a confined space and that they may encounter unforeseen hazards. Testing and evaluation of the atmosphere are typically not initiated prior to entry and monitoring is not performed during the confined space work procedures. Rescue is seldom planned and usually consists of spontaneous reaction in an emergency situation.
For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Page on:
Confined Spaces
Fires and Explosions
Coal Dust Explosion Hazards. Mine Safety and Health Administration Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (2001, March 3), 30 KB PDF, 10 pages. Discusses how explosions can occur within facilities. Describes the five necessary elements which must occur simultaneously: fuel, heat, oxygen, suspension, and confinement.
Potential for Natural Gas and Coal Dust Explosions in Electric Power Generation Facilities. OSHA Technical Information Bulletin (TIB), (2000, November 6), 69 KB PDF, 3 pages. Provides a reminder for employers who operate electrical power generation facilities of potential explosion hazards during boiler startup, operation, and shutdown.
Rouge Powerhouse Explosion. Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA) News, (1999, Fall), 2 MB PDF, 20 pages. Describes the settlement in the Dearborn, Michigan powerhouse boiler explosion and secondary explosion from coal dust accumulations.
Potential for Feed Water Pipes in Electrical Power Generation Facilities to Rupture Causing Hazardous Release of Steam and Hot Water. OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin (HIB), (1996, October 31). Describes how feed water pipe failures were attributed to wall thinning as a result of single-phase erosion/corrosion, leading to rupture of the pipes under high working pressures.
For additional information on fire and explosion hazards, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages on:
Fire Safety
Pressure Vessels
Sprains, Strains, and Fractures
Ergonomics. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
Fall Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
Environmental Stress
Cold Stress Equation. OSHA Publication 3156, (1999). Also available as a 20 KB PDF, 4 pages. Summarizes information to recognize and avoid hazards associated with working in cold environments.
Protect Yourself: Heat Stress. OSHA Quick Card, (2002). Also available as a 35 KB PDF, 2 pages. Summarizes information to recognize and avoid hazards associated with working in hot environments.
OSHA Offers Tips to Protect Workers in Cold Environments. OSHA Trade News Release, (2002, January 8). Offers tips to protect workers in cold environments.
Heat Stress. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
Industry Overview
Electric Power Annual. US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Information Administration (EIA), (2005, November). Contains statistical data on the US Electric Power industry.
Inventory of Electric Utility Power Plants in the United States 1999. US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Information Administration (EIA), (2000, September), 1 MB PDF, 342 pages. Provides annual statistics on generating units operated by electric utilities in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia), that have ownership in generating units operated by electric utilities.
Profile of the Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation Industry. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA/310-R-97-007, (1997), 669 KB PDF, 164 pages. Includes information on the industry description, processes, and regulatory and compliance history.
Duke Energy to Build up to 400 'Mini' Solar Power Plants in North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 7, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) will build between 100 and 400 electricity-generating mini solar power plants throughout North Carolina over the next two years in one of the first large-scale initiatives of its kind in the U.S., CEO Jim Rogers said today.
"Solar and wind are both going to be key parts of our strategy going forward," Rogers told reporters following the company's annual meeting.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission on Wednesday issued a decision allowing Duke Energy to proceed with its $50-million proposal to install solar panels on the roofs and grounds of homes, schools, office buildings, shopping malls, warehouses and industrial plants, starting later this year.
Collectively, the solar sites will generate enough electricity to power 1,300 homes.
The electricity will flow directly from the solar sites to the electrical grid that serves all customers.
Duke Energy's solar initiative will be among the nation's first and largest demonstrations of distributed generation, in which electricity is produced at numerous micro generating sites rather than at a large, centralized, traditional power plant.
"We are redefining our boundaries. We're looking ahead and we're looking around the corner," Rogers told shareholders attending the meeting. "We believe the future is a low-carbon world. The 21st century mission of our company is to decarbonize our energy supply and provide universal access to energy efficiency."
Duke Energy will own and maintain the solar panels during their expected 25-year lifespan. The company also will own the electricity generated.
It will pay a rental fee to property owners who host the panels for use of their roofs or land, based on the size of the installation and amount of electricity generated at any given site.
The solar plan is one of several renewable and clean-energy initiatives announced by Duke Energy in the past 12 months, including:
Solar
- The purchase of the entire electricity output (16 megawatts) from what will be one of the nation's largest photovoltaic solar farms, to be built in 2009-2010 in Davidson County, N.C.
Wind
- The opening of three new electricity-generating wind farms in Texas and Wyoming.
- A plan to build two more wind farms in Wyoming in 2009.
- The potential development of 5,000 additional megawatts of wind energy in 14 states over the next several years.
- An agreement with Wal-Mart to supply wind-generated electricity to up to 15 percent of the retail chain's 360 stores and other buildings in Texas.
Biomass
- The creation of a joint venture with AREVA to build power plants fueled by wood waste - the first "biopower" (biomass to electricity) partnership in the U.S. between two major energy companies.
Landfill Gas
- The purchase of electricity generated by combusting methane naturally emitted from decaying garbage at two large landfills in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Electric Vehicles
- Partnerships with General Motors and several other automakers to help lay the groundwork for the deployment of vehicle-charging stations - critical for the large-scale launch of plug-in electric cars and trucks.
Energy Efficiency
- Major energy efficiency programs to help Duke Energy's 4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky use less electricity and save money.
- An investment of at least $1 billion to improve the efficiency of its substations, power lines and electric and gas meters, using advanced digital "smart grid" technology.
In addition to hearing Rogers' remarks, shareholders re-elected all 10 members of Duke Energy's board of directors to one-year terms. The company has a declassified board, meaning that shareholders vote on all directors at each annual meeting.
Shareholders also ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche as the company's independent public accountant for 2009.
Property owners interested in having their home, business or land considered as a potential solar site can register online at www.duke-energy.com/solar-host.
Properties must be located in North Carolina and currently served by Duke Energy.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.
SOURCE Duke Energy
Industry’s Highest Power, Integrated PoE-PD Controllers from ON Semiconductor Meet Upcoming IEEE PoE+ Standard
Two integrated PoE-PD / DC-DC converter controllers pass latest University of New Hampshire PoE+ tests to support high power communications, industrial and consumer applications
PHOENIX — ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq:ONNN), a leading global supplier of high performance, energy efficient, silicon solutions, has announced that its NCP1081 and NCP1083 integrated Power-over-Ethernet Powered Device (PoE-PD) / DC-DC converter controllers have been verified to meet the upcoming IEEE802.3at standard for high power communications applications. Both devices have not only passed the IEEE 802.3af standard tests but have also been verified by the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) for the recent draft IEEE 802.3at (D3.1) standard - which includes a test of the two event physical layer classification. The UNH tests confirm that these devices can enable PoE+ compliant platforms on the market, and are in line with the evolving high power requirements of the WLAN access point, WIMAX, industrial and IP camera markets.
“Future changes to the IEEE802.3at standard that could result in PoE-PD silicon changes are not anticipated,” said Koen Geirnaert, ON Semiconductor’s PoE-PD product marketing manager. “As such, the NCP1081 and NCP1083 are expected to be in line with the final IEEE802.3at standard. These devices will enable the industry’s first movers to deliver standard PoE+ based platforms to the market.”
Device Features
ON Semiconductor’s portfolio of integrated PoE-PD products contains four devices. The NCP1081 and NCP1083 provide power levels up to 25.5 watts (W) for applications in line with the draft IEEE 802.3at (D3.1) standard and up to 40 W for proprietary high power PoE applications. The NCP1080 and NCP1082 offer IEEE802.3af compliant power levels. The NCP1082 and NCP1083 are also capable of providing power via an auxiliary parallel supply.
The NCP1080/1/2/3 are pin-compatible and offered in a TSSOP-EP 20 pin package. This feature allows the customer to easily mix-and-match different PoE capabilities on different platforms.
The PoE-PD portfolio utilizes ON Semiconductor’s automotive qualified, high-voltage SmartPower process to provide superior cable electrostatic discharge (CESD) and surge protection levels compared to other integrated PoE-PD /DC-DC converter controllers. Low on-resistance (Ron) and extended temperature range from -40°C to 85°C with full operation up to 150°C junction temperature allows these PoE-PD controllers to achieve record power levels while operating in harsh environments.
