San Gabriel Valley Water Company "Plug and Play" In-Conduit Hydropower Development Project (SGVWC Project)
A modular, cost-effective in-conduit hydroelectric system designed for sub-100 kW in-conduit hydroelectric market.
San Gabriel Valley Water Company
Recipient
El Monte, CA
Recipient Location
22nd
Senate District
56th
Assembly District
$499,988
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The overall design of the project has been delayed due to a late start of the project as well as the need for completion of a water balancing study. With a turbine lead time of 6 months, a decision was made to push the project construction to fall 2018 to ensure that San Gabriel Valley Water Company can meet peak water demand in the summer time. Construction did begin in the fall of 2018 and the system was commissioned in the summer of 2019. Testing and operation are ongoing pending final reporting. The project ends on December 31, 2019.
The Issue
Typically, the 100 kW or less pressure-reducing valves are located in above- or below-ground structures that were not designed for the addition of in-conduit hydroelectric systems. To adapt a water-to-wire system at these sites, resources are spent designing a custom powerhouse to include civil, mechanical, and electrical systems. However, sub 100-kW sites often share characteristics that present an opportunity to integrate a standardized ('plug and play') powerhouse design for in-conduit hydroelectric systems.
Project Innovation
The San Gabriel “Plug and Play” In-Conduit Hydropower Development Project aims to design, develop and demonstrate a modular, cost-effective in-conduit hydroelectric system designed for the sub-100-kW in-conduit hydroelectric market that will reduce civil, mechanical, electrical, and interconnection costs. The San Gabriel Project includes a new 73 kW modular 'plug and play' in-conduit hydroelectric station at a space-constrained site in an urban, potable water system that will provide an estimated 381 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable generation per year, while also providing a model that can be deployed to many undeveloped, small sub-100 kW in-conduit sites throughout the state.
Project Benefits
The project will recover wasted energy from an existing pressure-reducing station. The recipient estimates there to be about 120 similar-sized pressure reducing opportunities within California, representing 9,000 kilowatts that will become economically viable if the project is able to meet its cost reduction goals.
Affordability
This project is expected to benefit investor-owned utility electricity ratepayers by reducing the cost of sub-100 kilowatt hydropower by an estimated 20 percent.
Environmental Sustainability
Over the course of its 30-year asset life, the 73 kilowatt hydropower project is expected to reduce CO2e emissions by 8040 metric tons.
Key Project Members
Robert DiPrimio
Subrecipients
NLine Energy, Inc.
Tesco Controls, Inc.
Match Partners
NLine Energy, Inc.
San Gabriel Valley Water Company