Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, Drought, and Solar Energy Resource Development.

Article by Martin Nix. A.A.S., C.A., B.U.S., CSI-S

Seattle City Light and the Public Water Utility both need to develop solar energy resource development plans, as part of their Future Resource Portfolio. As part of the planning I see numerous aspects, trade studies, and economic analysis that can be done. I see it as two parts.
1) resource analysis and 2) implementation.

- Solar Resource Appraisal. There needs to be an honest appraisal of the total solar energy resource. Take a look at all the residential streets, driveways, parking lots, and roof tops. That is the solar collection area. Land use is very important, and integrating solar collection so that it does not interfere with other land use is important. I understand that the local weather people are now considering reporting solar input as part of the weather report, like we do today wind, and tides. We need to do site analysis for each property. This gives us our total potential. Keep in mind plants, rain runoff and wind are also an indirect form of sunlight energy.

- Solar Potential Behind Hydro Dams. Often times the amount of sunlight falling behind a hydro dam is several times more than the hydropower. I have been working on an invented design of a floating photovoltaic.
These could be cabled to the shore, then as the lake rises and lowers, these solar collectors would rise and fall with the lake level.
Integration of solar collectors allows for more flexibility for the dam operating engineer. It allows for power to be placed in the transmission line, exactly when the turbines are in drought. It allows for land that is devoid of vegetation (surrounding the lake) to be used for energy gain. But also it is good for fish. By making the lake 'mimic the natural flow' of the river, floating photovoltaics will allow for a change in operations. It means the lake level can be more stable. It means the floating solar collectors can shade and cool the lake. Solar produced electricity can also be used to control gas levels in the water, perhaps bubbling air in the lake...mimicking rapids. The combination solar and hydro is perfect. I envision the use of surplus power from hydro dams being used to manufacture photovoltaics and floating PV platoons. That way we can 'truck power around utility transmission lines'. Concrete Washington to me is an excellent site for PV manufacture and concrete platoons.

- End Use Analysis. Do we have an accurate picture of the number of appliances, lights, computers, microwaves, etc out there. We have census data, but we need an accurate picture. I envision solar applications not so much from a building view, but an appliance view. Envision each device in a home, each with it's solar resource. We need some kind of home analysis method, where a home owner or business can conduct an energy audit. I do these, including heat loss for buildings. Go through your home collect every watch, clock, microwave, window, washing machine, etc and analyze it's power load. Once we have an idea of the energy consumption of each device, it makes sizing the solar system feasible. And it also IDs the type of solar and cost system. I am an advocate of implementing the lowest cost system first.

- Load Analysis. Solar energy is very available during the summer, exactly when there is a drought. Wind energy is also very available in the winter, exactly when there is blackouts. Hydropower could potentially act like a giant battery between the two energy sources. The transmission and distribution system act like a battery substitute. It is this plan between energy sources that make for a highly reliable supply, devoid of power shortages if there is a drought, for example.
There are two ways to employ solar energy. 1) Make power and then use it, such as have a PV array selling power back to the grid. 2) The second way is electricity displacement. If the electricity is displaced, that is just as good as a kilowatt. For example, a microwind turbine can heat a tea kettle. The tea kettle then heats the room when hot. The electric furnace then senses the additional heat and turns off. There are two types of solar systems: 1) grid tied, interfacing with the utility. And 2) and stand alone systems. Stand alone is where 90% of the market is at. I call it 'solar furniture'. It is portable, excellent for renters and people who move a lot. Solar cookers for example are stand alone. Solar hot water heaters are 'water grid connecting', but solar hot water heating on a solar cooker is stand alone.

- Micro Wind Turbine Potential Analysis. We need some kind of idea of the role and potential of urban friendly wind energy. Large scale wind energy is fine for rural farms, but for urban areas it can be unfit.
Large turbines could, though unlikely, fly apart. Small scale urban friendly wind turbines, though, have potential. These should be located centrally to the property, if possible attached to the building, and be no bigger than a bicycle wheel. These should be under 1KW in size, storm worthy, and quite. Towers for windmills I have seen crash before. They just don't fall, they fly down. I see Micro Wind as 'waiting in the wind'. I see most Micro Wind as being stand alone, powering a light in a storm for example. Wind energy plays a small but significant role. It works at night when solar isn't collected, and works in storms and during winter, when solar is less available. Wind is not as big in Seattle, but it does play a significant role in the overall picture. It works well in a storm blackout, for example.

- Something to be watched is ocean tidal energy systems where ocean energy like solar, wind, and waves and tidal current are harnessed for fuel production. Also to watch, production of hydrogen from renewable energy.

- There needs to be an economic/job impact analysis. We are in effect building a huge solar power plant. But unlike building a large coal plant in Montana, when we install this new power plant, it will employ local people in Seattle. That means funds spent get recycled back into the local economy. If we build a power plant in Montana for Seattle...that is money recycled in Montana! This is local employment.
Already we have numerous educational, trade programs, and many social services. If we can get more local employment, that means more local jobs....and less need for tax payer supported social services. I call it 'solar welfare'.

Part II. Implementation.

- Solar Greenhouses and Solar Window Greenhouses. A solar greenhouse for example provides home employment with resale of vegetables. It also means less demand for the need for food stamps. It also cuts grocery bills. A solar greenhouse project, much like what Bill Yanas of Taos, NM did, would do a lot for low/no income people. It provides self employment, and thus less strain on social services. We are talking jobs in Seattle, using Seattle money. We are keeping money locally, not exporting money to Texas for natural gas. There is a multiplier effect.
Solar greenhouses can supplement heating for homes, plus provide living space.

- Solar Windows and Solar Skylights. If we can invent an R-10 window it will drastically reduce our heating bills. A lot of our heating cost go out the window. By implementing movable insulation, and automatic closing thermal curtains, and developing clear glass that can in effect reduce heat transfer, it will payoff many times over.
Skylights can be modified with movable louvers to reduce heat loss at night. Even back reflectors can be installed to reflect winter sun downwards on skylights.

- Water Retention. We need more reservoirs. One such method is to encourage more rain barrels, and to tap in on water retention tanks under parking lots. This water can be used for summer irrigation and toilet flushing water. It is strange to think of water retention as an energy conservation measure but this use of natural rain reduces pumping cost.

-HelioHydroElectric Technology. Water is so important to all energy developments. Without water no power plant will work. We need water to cool even thermal power plants. With increasing drought conditions, and less snow pack, we need to do more to produce fresh water. One technology taps in on the giant salt water aquifer located deep below the American West. By using solar and wind pumps, this salt water can be pumped to the surface for salt water evaporators. These salt lakes aren't dead either, they can grow plants like Spirulina. This salt water is also heavily laden with gold, silver, manganese and rare materials.
By using electrolysis technology this can be mined and resold on the metal market. (ReNu will love it). That is how you finance it. A review of state lands feasible for this development needs to be done. Also, coordination should be done with participating private land owners. The additional water vapor will help cool the desert but also provide morning fog. That fog will condense helping local agriculture. It is possible with the addition of HelioHydroElectric it will increase the size of the snow pack. In effect, we are mitigating climatic change.
This technology is absolutely essential if we are to increase agricultural virgin feed stocks for Biodiesel fuels. Ironically a lot of these saltwater wells have already been drilled. Many dry hole oil wells have tapped into this aquifers. These dry holes can be purchased and solar/wind pumps installed. Care needs to be done to prevent salt from entering freshwater supplies...but it can be done.

- Photovoltaics. There are two types of uses for Photovoltaics: 1) grid tied, and 2) non-grid tied. The state of Washington is a hot bed for grid-tied systems, where solar produced electricity makes the meter run backwards. This also does have an additional bonus. When power goes through a power line there is a line voltage drop, which can be harmful
to electrical devices. By installing PV systems, it helps to keep
residential power line voltage constant.
But there is another application for Photovoltaics...stand alone systems. Go through your home (as part of an energy audit) and get every DC powered battery device you got. Any battery device can with some ease be converted to be solar photovoltaic. Important is voltage control and making sure the power is continuous. Some devices are more sensitive than others for voltage control. The hang-up for such massive conversion of DC powered appliances (like clocks, computers, radios, etc) is squarely lack of adequate production for solar wafers. The state legislature is currently addressing this issue with incentives. By unplugging all these battery devices from the wall it will relieve City Lights electrical load, plus there are energy savings from the conversion of AC to DC.
Stand-alone devices also serve dual duty of earthquake and disaster preparedness. Photovoltaics can also be floated behind hydro dams. It is possible to wire homes for DC electricity. One application ideal for photovoltaics is musical instruments...it gets rid of the hiss. Another application for PVs is powering car batteries, reducing the electrical load on the alternator, saving fuel, and also a bonus...  keeping the battery charged. Solar assisted cars are on the way.

- Use of Off-Peak Power. While not as much of an issue, like in Austin Texas, still there are steps that can be done to load manage City Light.
One invention converts off-peak power to ice, the ice then cools the building in the day. Refrigerators and freezers can be modified to turn on at night, with the addition of change of phase materials like ethanol mixed with water. The change of phase materials cool the food in the day. Refrigerators and air conditioners tend to be high load devices with high startup power requirements. This is difficult for photovoltaic systems to handle. But by implementing better night time load management it will load level City Light, especially in the summer during drought conditions. If we can load shift some electrical power from day time to night time use it will conserve electrical power overall....and solve potential overloads during late afternoon periods.

- Solar Hot Water and Radiant Hot Water Heat. Every electric heater needs a solar preheater. If the water is already hot before it comes to the electric hot water heater, it saves electricity. Plus hot water can be used to space heat a home. If that hot water heats a house it means electric or gas heaters do not work as hard. What we need for solar equipment can be summed in one word: retrofit. Right now the quality solar collectors that work in cold cloudy weather and are 90% efficient are all made overseas. While the controls and components are made in Washington, still we have no local manufacturing, presently these are manufactured overseas and imported. That is the reason for the high cost. I have a high efficient solar flat plat designed, other designs exist. Key to this are vacuums. By placing a vacuum between the glass and dark metal solar absorption material, it makes for a very efficient means to convert light, even cloud light, to hot water.

- Plant Life. We grow a lot of plants in Seattle, which is an energy resource. We need to look at how we use pavement in the city. Expansion of plant life encourages local food production. Many residential streets are super wide, perhaps we can install more street planters and traffic circles. Plant cherry trees along city streets. My favorite idea, is to string nets over parking lots and have blackberry bushes grow overhead of parked cars. (Hohoho). The increase biomass can be used for making fuels from biomass.

- Solar Cooking. Minor, but significant loads can be done with solar cooking. Years ago, people in Seattle said it didn't work...now no one denies it. There are fantastic developments including Hole-In-The-Wall solar collectors, that store heat from the summer for winter use. I see this as a great Seafair Event. So far there is no solar cooking restaurant. My favorite idea is for the Gates Foundation to put a giant turntable on the roof, and track the sun with solar cookers. My work in solar cookers is now used worldwide for refugees. The Return On Investment on solar cooking is, believe it or not, one year if used every 'sun(ny)day'. This is excellent for vegetarian cooking, and for healthy prepared food...it does not burn food as much. This is an excellent way to reduce utility bills for low/no income. This is one idea that is quick to implement.

All of these concepts rest on one pivotal point...manufacturing. We need some kind of business incubator for the numerous mom and pop small businesses and businesses to be. We need some kind of solar and renewable energy business incubator that can get these concepts from patent to innovation to market. I have requested that the Port Authority review the concept of a Solar and Renewable Energy Business Incubator. In the past, investment capital has been very negative towards renewable technologies. Washington Technology Center at UW has been attempting to bridge that gap.

Towards all of these goals we need to come up with an action plan. I recommend a two member team, one person to handle the technical aspects, a second to handle the business/public contact aspects. Each two person team would be focused on one technology. Towards that goal I suggest Centers. Each of these centers would have equipment, literature, and even a small shop so people can make the devices themselves (kind of like a work shop). These centers would be cooperative with local and small businesses. I recommend the following list of centers.

- Center for Photovoltaic Applications.
- Center for Solar Greenhouses and Solar Window Greenhouses.
- Center for Water Retention.
- Center for Solar Hot Water and Solar Radiant Space Heat.
- Center for Micro Wind Turbines.
- Center for Solar Cooking.
- Center for Off-Peak Power Utilization.
- Center for Solar Hot Water and Radiant Heat.
- Center for Home Weatherization and Energy Auditing.
- Center for HelioHydroElectric Technology.
- Center for Solar Windows and Skylights.
- Center for Ocean Energy Systems and Hydrogen Production.
- Center for Alternative Transportation Fuels.

Perhaps other centers:
- Center for Biodiesel Fuels
- Center for Geothermal Energy Utilization

There also needs to be public discussion with Puget Sound Energy natural gas division on the impact of solar and renewable technologies on the gas utility. The City Council does have regulatory oversight over the gas utility. To date PSE has been supportive of energy efficiency technology, but negative towards energy self-production technology. In the past the solar associations have had to take legal action on PSE to force them to allow integration of net metering concepts. Recently, PSE had a new concept 'green' home. While energy conservation was everywhere...still missing was the solar cooker, solar Biodiesel device, solar hot water, microwind turbine, solar refrigerator, solar air conditioner, photovoltaic meter run backwards unit, seasonal heat storage unit, passive ice house...need I continue. PSE has a distinct anti-self-energy production policy. This is highly misguided. As part of the city's franchise the city council needs to confront the gas utility on this. There needs to be public discussion.

PSE should stop viewing solar and renewable technology as a threat. It really does load manage gas supplies, and can load relieve during winter cold storms when gas pressure is low. Solar energy can effect make hydrogen, which can be mixed with existing natural gas supplies. By implementing solar assistance for solar hot water and solar radiant heat, it will open up existing natural gas for emerging markets like natural gas cogeneration for grocery stores and Laundromats...highly energy intensive operations that solar and wind can't handle. It also opens for conversion of existing gasoline cars to natural gas CNG. I contend that as the price of oil based gasoline increases, transportation will become more dependent on electricity and natural gas. In effect, we burn natural gas in our cars, buses and trains...not the hot water tank or furnace. We gas cars at home. What we are doing will have a major impact on the natural gas. I should emphasize we are only changing the way PSE does business, not putting them out of business.

One technology that I have been researching for years is Solar Combustion Air. This is patented by myself (US Patent 5308187). In effect hot and compressed and high velocity air is made from solar energy. This preheated air can be blown into any firebox for fossil fuel. This preheated air is already hot, thus reducing fossil fuel consumption. At present 97% of all mankind's energy comes from combustion of air. Oxygen in the air is made from solar energy and photosynthesis, so in someway all fossil fuel combustion energy comes from sunlight.
This can preheat air to any natural gas hot water heater, or for that matter a coal burning power plant, oil refinery, metal smelter, or other high temperature industrial process heat. This hot air can also be made from hydropower, wind or geothermal. High velocity/compressed/hot air is like a new utility. Ironically, Native Americans used this at Bandalier in New Mexico in prehistory, so it is not new. I have been trying unsuccessfully to raise venture capital for it's development. I have made it clear to public utilities that I desire the technology to be available. I thus propose a new center.

- Center for Solar Combustion Air.

It is concepts like these that will address City Light electrical supply problems. Financing will be an issue. Please understand. I am not talking a go slow approach. My goal is to match Kilowatt per Kilowatt with solar and microwind technology. With nearly 800,000 people served by either the water or electric utility, and with City Light having 310,000 residences and 22,000 business, each of these will be impacted.
This is a cooperative venture between private industry and public owned utilities. We are not asking the electric utilities to do the job of private industry, it is kind of like a band with each instrument doing it's job. City Light is like the conductor, making a concert instead of random noise.

My goal is to install a 1,000 solar or renewable energy systems per day.
Each will require monitoring, quality control, and where needed maintenance and support. Where public money is spent, there must be public accountability. There is no question that mistakes will be made, but the good news is we can learn from our mistakes. Many of the concepts are not new, but been done for many decades. I desire to convert Seattle to be a tri energy system, solar, wind and hydro within ten years.

To finance this I am an advocate of 'more you use - more you pay'
utility rates. Right now we have a three tier system. Even the mega-wasters of water and electricity get a small portion of the first tier. I am an advocate of a multiple tier system. The present three tier system is kind of like three separate flat rates. By going to a ten tier rate structure (straight line projection) it will give people within one tier and incentive to conserve electricity or water. Not all electrical or water power cost the same to make. Even the megawaters get to use a small portion of 'cheap power'. This allocates the cost of water and power production. It also shifts the financial burden from low/no income to mega-wasters for new power plant construction. It provides incentives for mega-wasters to install energy self production equipment. People on low/no income use electricity and water for basics. Mega-wasters use it for luxury. The addition of multiple tier rate structure creates an element of free enterprise. It allocates the true cost of production.
One mega-home for example can consume as much power as a small hydro dam.
There is no reason why these buildings cannot be net producers of power and water, not net consumers. Kind of like the small family farm of the 1800's, we may see the resurgence of the small family urban farm.

With increased prices for energy, reduced supplies from geologic sources, and increased Carbon Dioxide atmospheric levels, we need to change. The good news is it is doable. It can be done.

Make it so.

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About Martin Nix. He has long been an environmentally oriented energy systems engineer. He has in the past advised elected officials and CEOs on energy issues. He has worked on utility deregulation, telephone and airline deregulation, Public Utility Regulatory Purchase Act, Nuclear power plant safety issues, alternative fuels for transportation, energy and rapid transit issues, and is an inventor of numerous solar energy devices... including conversion of used refrigerators to be greenhouses, use of naturally occurring lightning to convert underground coal to oil, solar cooking technology for refugee camps, and preheated combustion air. He is an advocate of ratepayer owned utilities. He has a bachelor's from University of New Mexico with extensive training in Architecture and Planning, Social Science. He attended New Mexico State School of Engineering and is a graduate of North Seattle Community College in Construction Engineering Graphics (two year degree). He has a one year degree from Seattle Central Community College in Information Technology.
He currently lives in Seattle, Wa. He is one of the developers of the
777 electrical circuit and is presently laid-off from Boeing.