That’s only one tiny element within the many-layered story of GreenBug Vitality Inc. Based in Delhi, Ont., in 2011 by entrepreneurs Tony Bouk and Brian Weber, GreenBug is vying to create a wholly new section within the North American micro hydropower market.
To do it, GreenBug is combining superior engineering and design and a 3,000-year-old pumping know-how, the Archimedes screw, to make electrical energy. The training curve has been steep, and the regulatory course of sophisticated. However with the corporate’s first larger-output, absolutely commercialized micro hydropower methods poised for remaining approval and set up this summer time — in hometown Delhi and the state of Rhode Island — 2016 may very well be a breakout yr. Says Bouk: “We’re hoping it scales from right here.”
GreenBug’s story begins with an untapped outdated useful resource: 1000’s of low dams throughout Canada and the US constructed previously centuries to regulate water or to energy mills. Many of those constructions are nonetheless standing — in cities, on farms, on each private and non-private property — and ship sufficient water to drive generators to make electrical energy.
“There’s water flowing over these dams 24 hours a day that’s not getting used,” says Dave Lubitz, an engineering professor and renewable power specialist at Ontario’s Guelph College. Via the varsity’s enterprise growth workplace, Lubitz can be a GreenBug analysis associate and adviser. “It’s low-hanging fruit for producing renewable energy.”
Earlier than GreenBug, nonetheless, there wasn’t any economical, environmentally sound know-how to faucet it. Whereas micro hydro and run-of-river energy producing ventures have been on the rise general, these smaller dams — sometimes one- to five-metres excessive, with potential energy output as much as 300 kilowatts — have seen comparatively little motion. As an alternative, most tools and venture design has been geared toward websites with higher heights, or heads, of water, and bigger energy output.
That bias was evident when Bouk and Weber, already companions in a producing enterprise, first appeared into smaller dams in 2010. A yr earlier, Ontario had launched the Inexperienced Vitality Act, which enabled and inspired renewable energy growth for personal use or sale to the grid. Bouk was eager to leverage this system to start out a small-scale, clean-power enterprise to “do one thing” to battle local weather change. However tools makers they spoke to mentioned if a web site’s potential was lower than 500 kilowatts, “don’t even trouble.” Bouk and Weber weren’t satisfied. “There’s a kind of small dams in nearly each city,” Bouk says. “We thought that was attention-grabbing.”
Analysis led them to Europe, the place they discovered a small variety of micro-hydro builders utilizing the Archimedes screw to generate electrical energy. Put in subsequent to a dam, the screw turns beneath the load of water directed over it. That motion turns a gearbox, which turns a generator, which produces energy. The clinchers: Archimedes screw turbines are non-polluting, fish pleasant and optimally suited to low-head websites.
“First we thought we would supply the tools out of Europe, however at North American energy charges, it was manner too costly,” says Bouk.
That may have been the top. As an alternative, for Bouk, a seasoned govt with an MBA from the Ivey Enterprise Faculty at Western College in London, Ont., and Weber, with a background as a software and die maker, it simply meant extra variables to contemplate. “We knew what went into it and we determined we might do it right here ourselves,” says Bouk. “We began saying, ‘Look, I feel we will do this and make it make sense.’ ”
If making it make sense means constructing a worthwhile enterprise, GreenBug nonetheless has a protracted approach to go. However primarily based on Bouk and Weber’s achievements up to now — creating GreenBug part-time whereas supporting themselves by way of a separate, pre-existing firm — neither does it appear far-fetched. From screw design and manufacturing to development and operation, GreenBug’s now a vertically built-in operation with hard-won experience; it’s bought a long-term analysis contract with one college from the Pure Sciences and Engineering Analysis Council of Canada, an annual analysis and growth funds of $200,000 to $300,000, set up contracts with no less than a half-dozen shoppers awaiting regulatory approval, and final yr it gained the 3M Environmental Innovation Award, for artistic options that defend, restore or protect the setting.
And the yard dam? That was in the beginning, at Weber’s place in Delhi. As quickly because the pair determined to strive making their very own Archimedes screw turbines, it turned their first take a look at web site. Bouk, who says he’s “not too dangerous at math,” started engaged on a mannequin in Excel utilizing the location specs to assist them design the metal screw’s size, width, thread measurement and set up place, and predict what electrical output to count on. “Then being producers, we manufactured a screw,” says Bouk. “A small one — most likely a few toes in diameter, eight- or 10-feet lengthy.”
They added a body, related it to an electrical motor, put in it and “it turned out the factor produced inside about 5 watts of what we thought it could.”
This proof of idea meant that they had a possible enterprise price pursuing. However Bouk additionally knew his modelling work had simply begun. “One of many issues I noticed immediately is there are a ton of variables,” he says. “Water isn’t like photo voltaic, the place you’ll be able to put down panels wherever and know all of the parameters. Each web site is exclusive. All of them have completely different flows and heads and so they range by way of time. It is advisable take that information and one way or the other determine what sort of screw you’re going to place in, what’s going to supply essentially the most energy.”
Bouk’s mannequin has been extensively refined since, in order that given these parameters, it simply determines not simply the optimum screw, but additionally a “system that can maximize inside price of return.” Even early on, nonetheless, he and Weber knew sufficient concerning the screw generator’s efficiency to start out speaking to potential shoppers. Inside a yr, they signed a deal for his or her first small-scale grid set up, at Fletcher’s Horse World, a farm and occasion centre within the close by city of Waterford. The screw, 1.7-metres large and five-metres lengthy, with a modest most output of seven.2 kilowatts was put in at an outdated dam on a residence driveway. The centre makes use of the facility onsite, offsetting its beforehand excessive electrical energy invoice by way of Ontario’s “internet metering” program.
Bouk says proprietor John Fletcher was a straightforward promote. “We actually simply drove in to his driveway, chilly name,” says Bouk. “Proper off the bat he mentioned, ‘Let’s do it.’ ”
It sounds auspicious, but it surely wasn’t. Within the three years since, regardless of rising analysis, market growth and group outreach, and precise offers made with people, municipalities and conservation authorities across the province, GreenBug has however one grid-connected Archimedes screw generator set up.
The issue isn’t the know-how or venture economics, assures Bouk. “They will earn cash,” he says. As an alternative, it’s the gradual, multi-stage provincial Feed-In-Tariff contract and environmental evaluation approvals course of beneath the Inexperienced Vitality Act, which is required with a purpose to promote energy again to the grid.
“It’s difficult,” says Bouk. “It takes years, actually, to get a venture by way of.” We’re attempting to whittle that down as a result of our websites are small, and we’re attempting to standardize the method.”
It’s not simply Bouk and Weber who’re chomping on the bit. In southwestern Ontario’s Norfolk County, councillor Jim Oliver first heard about GreenBug’s know-how in 2011, after the Fletcher farm set up. Quickly, he was backing a take care of GreenBug to put in a 53-kilowatt screw generator with a 1.9-metre head at Delhi’s Quance Mill dam, on Large Creek, in historic, County-owned Quance Mill Park. It’s one of many two installations GreenBug’s hoping to do that summer time, and Oliver’s able to see it occur.
“They’ve been going by way of the ultimate levels of the environmental evaluation and to one of the best of my information that has just about been concluded,” says Oliver. “We’re all anxious for this one to start out shovels within the floor.”
Each GreenBug screw generator venture is a self-contained, separate partnership with the location proprietor. On this case, Norfolk County kicked in a small amount of cash, plus the location, whereas GreenBug’s placing up a major a part of the capital. For that, the corporate will get a lot of the returns from the electrical energy offered to the grid beneath the venture’s Feed-In-Tariff contract. The county, in the meantime, will get to showcase its management on renewable power and assist an area enterprise. Says Oliver: “I feel all of us purchased into the potential that their know-how and their specific service might obtain if it catches on.”
GreenBug’s different pending venture, awaiting remaining approval in Rhode Island beneath that state’s renewable power program, might be its largest up to now. It’s a double-screw venture with an anticipated most output of 360 kilowatts. And although it’s known as micro hydro, Bouk says it should take 4 or 5 semi hundreds to ship all of the items from Delhi. Every screw — 13 metres lengthy, 2.8 metres large and weighing 20 tonnes — requires its personal truck.
Assuming they’re accepted, finishing each of those tasks in 2016 will maintain Bouk and Weber busy. However to construct additional in 2017, GreenBug must win some Feed-In-Tariff contract approvals. Its subsequent likelihood comes when the province pronounces outcomes of the newest spherical of purposes within the second quarter of 2016.
Two installations this summer time might be an excellent begin, he says, “however I’m hoping we put in additional than that subsequent yr.”
Bouk is cautious of false hopes, simply as he’s sensible about GreenBug’s long-term obstacles and enterprise dangers. However he’s additionally very clear the place he stands. “Renewable power is one thing that’s going to be round,” he says. “We’re on the fitting facet of the curve.”
Article Creator: Brian Banks
Article Title: GreenBug Vitality: Creating renewable power from outdated know-how. GreenBug Vitality wins 2015 3M Environmental Innovation Award for micro-hydro generators.
Revealed: Canadian Geographic April 2016 situation
First Revealed On-line: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/journal/apr16/greenbug-energy-micro-hydro-turbines.asp
