Orient Land Trust
Valley View Hot Springs
Email:
info@olt.org
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Hydroelectric Information All electricity at Orient Land Trust is supplied by an on-site hydroelectric plant. In 1975 a small "water wheel" made of wood and used parts was constructed. It produced about 100 watts at 12 vdc that was enough to run a few lights, music and a small refrigerator if a battery was used to buffer the load. This system was still supplying power to two buildings after six years but by 1981 the other buildings at the hot springs needed electricity. During 1980 a new hydroelectric plant was started with help from a DOE grant. A concrete box was built to strain debris and settle dirt before most of the water from the hot springs entered a 12" diameter PVC pipe. The pipeline extended 3155 ft and dropped in elevation (head) 256 ft. A 10" diameter stainless steel pelton turbine was installed. Maximum electrical output of the alternator was 23 kW. The electrical power traveled back up the hill to the location of the buildings and was transformed to 120/208v 3Ø power. This much larger (230 times more power than the first) system worked very well however, just like the rest of the world, by 1990 more electric power was needed. The third hydroelectric plant was built using the last pipeline as a start. An additional 6000 ft of pipe was laid starting at the site of the old power plant. This created a 1¾ mile long 12" diameter pipe with a flow of 850 gpm of water at a head of 540 ft. This system produced 51 kW. The almost two mile distance required power transmission at 13,000 volts, therefore a new cable was laid the entire distance. The same pelton turbine installed in the first plant was refurbished and used again. The hydraulic governor was also rebuilt and re-used. The second and third hydroelectric projects each took over one year to complete. All of the pipe and wire were hand laid and bedded by a hard working crew. All of the design and labor were done by people at Valley View except trenching and high voltage splicing. This plant started operation October 1991. By 2000 the original pelton turbine had been running almost 20 years and was in need of replacement. During the spring we replaced the turbine, alternator and governor with a new, more efficient design. The new turbine can accommodate a variable flow of water which allows more irrigation in the summer and more power in the winter. We can generate up to 93 kW at 1200 gpm of water. Now you know how the water you are soaking in at Orient Land Trust turns into light inside the buildings. We are always happy to give a tour of our hydroelectric plant; just ask. Overall, Orient Land Trust is a model for renewable energy use, as it is completely off the power grid and uses no fossil fuels other than in the larger vehicles. Orient Land Trust will continue to provide a resource for local schools, residents and other visitors to learn about hydroelectric and geothermal energy uses. We plan to keep up with developments in the electric vehicle industry and hydrogen production. |