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Show Gas is a natural choice for Western co generators byJIMSMEDLEY Record staff writer On the East Coast, businesses have been using cogeneration as a method of producing electricity for a decade or so. Simply stated, cogeneration is using us-ing a fuel to produce energy at a savings sav-ings to the producer. But cogeneration is a fairly new concept in Utah and recently the Park City Board of Education has started considering the purchase of its own generators for the schools. A study by the Utah Energy Office informed the Park City Board of Education that using a reciprocating engine that generates from 60 to 100 kilowatts enough to power all three of the district's schools and the bus building could save from $82,530 to $93,420 in yearly electricity bills. The study also said the project's payback time would be from 21 to 67 months. In the established Eastern cogeneration market, the main fuels used to propel these systems is heating oil, although some plants use wood, coal and even garbage. But in the Western states, natural gas is abundant and comparatively inexpensive and therefore figures in the plans of cogenerators as the fuel to use to run the electricity-producing electricity-producing equipment. This brings a smile to Mountain Fuel, which is behind the concept 100 percent. Cogeneration means at least a 5 to 10 percent increase in natural gas consumption in Utah, according to Roger Sampson, with the industrial marketing division of the fuel company. com-pany. The Park City School Board commissioned com-missioned E. James Bradley, energy consultant and former head of the UEO, to further study the cogeneration options. The Public Service Commission, in conjunction with Utah Power & Light, has determined that 15 megawatts of power would be produced pro-duced by cogenerators in the state in the future. The two entities estimated this production to determine deter-mine a buyback rate UP&L must use to purchase extra electricity produced produc-ed by cogenerators. In 1978, Congress passed the Public Utility Regulation Policy Act in an effort to stimulate alternate energy development. The act encouraged en-couraged cogeneration and reauired that electric companies buy back excess ex-cess electricity, .it,. "We'll do surveys for customers and preliminary studies for those in-, terested in cogeneration," 5pfl5fisiqn1( said. "The demand for information about congeneration has doubled in the past year. People call me .da ily j to see if it is an altermWw: for them." ' Cogeneration is catching on in Utah. Sampson said that Hewtain Fuel recently did 'a" studynfJr the U n i v e r s i ty.efi $f& 29a 3,000-kilowatt system " that would" take care of the needs,fofj.tjiQlJguIiire , campus , ,.,;v;.,9nnol9tf; Natural gas ;js) th(Bj0ffl$Bflost preferred in the WestegRgalys,, to power cogenerafioijjjfj&tus because it is less expensyjfijg jiis time than other fuels. And according to Susan Dudley, a, ,M9H9tftift Fuel spokesperson, natural gafcwjy tay that way for a long time.G gbnuv "There's still plentiful -rgnffgijjs of natural gas and esUpiag s jthat we're not close to fining ByHe is out there," Dudleyd not possible to say whefi iwilluout, .. but it is safe to say tjt jejatjira gas pipeline and use of natural gas will continue far, far into the future. "We have certain fixed costs and if we can sell more volume of gas; ? then we an keep costs lower to all customers," she added. i , The most common application of cogeneration is commercially, ac-. . cording to Sampson, since being able to use a good, constant thermal load all year is important. Aside from electricity, a certain-amount certain-amount of thermal energy is produced. produc-ed. Economics would dictate that this thermal energy be put to use. Cottonwood High School has used its thermal byproduct for heat. It has been adequate for the institution. , The first wave of cogeneration engines and generators were built ;. for larger capacities, having the ability to produce about 100 i kilowatts of electricity. However, . Sampson said there is a trend to build plants with lower capacities now. to accommodate smaller businesses. " "Systems having a capacity as small as 15 kilowatts are now being ; ' f' built to accommodate things like : ."' apartment buildings and motels," . , Sampson said. "In Europe, Fiat has .; ; built a 15-kilowatt unit which is be , : , ing used to run five homes." Sampson said that the National Aeronautics and Space Administra- tion has had a fuel cell developed for the space program that is a ; minature cogenerator. The cell takes natural gas in and provides electricity and thermal energy -through a chemical process. "The catalysts in the fuel cell wear out. However, they are work- ' ing on that problem now," Sampson said. "It's under testing and at this '' time it is too expensive for commercial commer-cial use. It's possible that something may come on the market by 1995 to 2000." |