Winter Utilities Report by Brennan Van Loo
March 14th, 2011Holden village generates its hydro-electrical power with a Pelton water wheel generator. The water that spins the turbine is diverted from copper creek, 638 feet above the power plant. This high elevation drop allows us to produce power with a relatively small flow of water. Copper Creek is an ideal source for hydro-electric power as it is naturally fishless due to its extreme steepness. During the summer months we are able to produce more electricity than we can use, generally 300-350 Kilowatts. On average we produce around 900,000 Kilowatt hours per year. If this power were purchased at the average rate for Washington state, it would cost nearly $75,000 per year.
During the fall and winter, the flow of Copper creek decreases, and our demand for electricity increases as we begin to heat the buildings. At this point the Jacuzzi is closed for the winter, and other large electrical loads such as clothes dryers are reduced or eliminated.
This winter was following the typical pattern of decreased electrical production, and we were down to 70 KW, but with the warming and rain of Mid-January, our power production jumped up to 125KW. Now we are stoking on a limited basis and using clothes dryers at night.
For heat during the winter we have three main wood boilers: Dante, Koinonia and Lodge 6. In addition to burning wood, these boilers can also be heated with any extra electricity we produce. The rest of the winter buildings have at least two sources of heat, generally wood and electricity. Agape and the Hotel have diesel boilers that can be used when we are producing very little electricity, or when it is very cold. So far this winter, we have run the Hotel’s diesel boiler for less than a week.