What is it, a mountaintop radio site? No chance of being able to do it as off grid PV? I mean you can build one hell of a PV system for $100k with batteries... Even if it means spending more money to replace old power hungry equipment at the site with things that are much more power efficient. How many kWh a month are we talking about?
On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 6:39 PM, Chuck McCown <ch...@wbmfg.com> wrote: > It is more than a half mile away. Primary build. Not sure they would > even do it as that is at the end of a crappy line feeding a center pivot > irrigation pump and system. Up where I need it everything is underground. > > Right now I am paying about $2K/month at a different site for a similar > load. They really screw you on the demand charge. > I figure I can get a decent $100K NG 3ph generator for $10K. > > *From:* George Skorup > *Sent:* Friday, December 02, 2016 7:29 PM > *To:* af@afmug.com > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] generator fuel > > OK, but what would be the cost to have your power co bring 3phase to you? > More or less than a 3-phase generator? Or can they simply not do it? > > On the other hand, what would it then cost you for 3-phase service from > said power co? I know of a couple grain handling sites around here pay > about $1200/mo. But that's cheaper over the long haul than buying, > maintaining and paying fuel cost for a 100kW genset, even NG. > > On 12/2/2016 8:18 PM, Chuck McCown wrote: > > Not bad considering my NG is going to cost half or less than diesel. And > it will be periodic use, not constant. > I need to make a boatload of 3 phase 480 where only single phase exists an > the loads will be highly variable. > I could use a big ass rotary phase converter but based on the cost of fuel > alone, I will save money just running the generator when needed. > Especially true if they charge me a demand charge. > > *From:* Eric Kuhnke > *Sent:* Friday, December 02, 2016 7:11 PM > *To:* af@afmug.com > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] generator fuel > > Looking at it another way, I have calculated previously that the cost per > kWh for 24x7 power from a diesel generator is in the range of $0.35 to > $0.49 per kWh. That's including the purchase cost of the generator, > maintenance, expected lifespan, cost of fuel, etc. > > If you want to see prime power examples of diesel used for islanded grid > power, each town in Nunavut has its own set of diesel generators and tanks. > There is no long distance transmission setup or inter-city grid. > > http://www.qec.nu.ca/home/ > > > On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 5:57 PM, Chuck McCown <ch...@wbmfg.com> wrote: > >> I agree, but my application is primary power, not emergency. >> >> *From:* Eric Kuhnke >> *Sent:* Friday, December 02, 2016 6:53 PM >> *To:* af@afmug.com >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] generator fuel >> >> I don't think it's fair to directly compare diesel fuel to natural gas, >> because one is portable in just about any container (in a real emergency), >> the other is not. >> >> http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/10/31/peer- >> 1-mobilizes-diesel-bucket-brigade-at-75-broad/ >> >> On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 5:49 PM, Chuck McCown <ch...@wbmfg.com> wrote: >> >>> I am assuming a BTU of fuel will make so many Wh of energy. >>> >>> If perfectly efficient 1M BTU =292.3 kWh >>> That would cost me *$35* from the power utility. >>> >>> A gallon of diesel is abou $3.25 around here. 139000 btu. >>> Diesel then is about $23 per 1M btu. >>> However diesel engines are only 30% efficient so it will cost me *$76* >>> in fuel to make that 292.3 kWh >>> >>> If that assumption is approximately correct: >>> I pay about $7.80 per decatherm in the winter for NG. A decatherm is 1 >>> million btu >>> About half that in summer. >>> >>> $7.80/.3= *$26*/293.3 kWh for NG not considering depreciation and maint >>> of the generator. >>> >>> It seems to me that NG is the hands down fuel cost winner? Anyone see >>> mistakes in this? >>> >>> >> >> > > > >
