Research Proposal
PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH AT STIKINE RIVER PROVINCIAL PARK
Research the most efficient way to power an off grid cabin in Northern BC Canada located in the Stikine River Provincial Park that is completely green and cost efficient.
Principle Investigator: Nathan Skubovius
Proposed project and Goals:
The purposes of this project Is to research three alternative power sources: Solar, Wind and Hydro. Of these alternative sources, the research will go into great depth to discover which resource will be the most realistic, reliable, and efficient to a remote ranch, located in northern BC.
My Grandparents Horse Ranch, where I plan on developing an idea to power their ranch, is located in Northern BC and is situated a great distance from any hydro power lines. I plan on developing an idea to power the ranch, as it is situated a great distance from any hydro power lines, and the cost of running power lines from the ranch to the closest existing power lines (around 30km) is unrealistic. Therefore, I propose a project that would power the ranch with an alternative power source, that would be cost efficient and is general realistic, based on the location and resources available. Researching Solar, Wind, and Hydro sources of green energy will help to find the most realistic way to power the horse ranch. My Grandparent's have owned and operated a trail riding business for the past 30 years. During this time they have hosted many non-profit events including an annual gospel music festival (12 years running). Besides these non-profit endeavours, they’ve hosted science camps, culture camps, family reunions and weddings on a regular bases. My Grandparent's run a Honda 6500 (generator) from March through to November, between 4-6 hours a night and sometimes all day when there is a special event. This puts tremendous strain on the machine, causing them to have to replace the generator every 2 years on average.
Objectives of the Project:
As a result of the music festival my grandfather has built a cookhouse, a dining hall, a wash house, and a large gathering hall. The Honda 6500 currently runs power for 2 existing cabins and has a secondary large diesel generator to power the gathering hall during large events. With the price of oil on the rise the need for an alternative source of energy is in greater need. Professor Robert Millar from the University of BC wrote; “the peak is here now'...Global production has been flat now for a year and a half or more, and demand continues to climb with world economic growth. We are seeing the consequence of that with higher prices.”[1] What is needed; a reliable alternative green resource efficient enough to power the Ranch that will be able to replace the two generators. What needs to happen is less burning of fossil fuels as this is a direct contribution to Global Warming, which as everybody knows, is not green.
Methodology and analytical approach and related information.
There are possibly three realistic renewable resources available that I will research when figuring out how to power the ranch (Solar, Wind, and Hydro). Things to keep in mind is that they all have disadvantages because of their location; located deep in the mountainous valleys running adjacent to the Stikine Canyon.
Wind Turbines use the power of the wind to operate and are completely green besides what is needed to create the turbines. Wind Turbines can cost around 30,000 dollars, but once installed they will never again need any fossil fuels or non-renewable resources to make it run. Wind Turbines will continue working day and night but needs a minimum 30km/h constant wind. To have 30 km/h may be difficult to achieve as the Ranch is tucked deep in a valley. Further research would be needed to collect data as if you “install a turbine that is too big, you give away some of the electricity it generates." [3] From November to March, snow and ice could build up on turbines if not properly taken care of and can be severely damaged because of massive storms or lighting strikes. Because wind turbines rely on the wind, which fluctuates, the power output is not always constant. It takes on average 4700 Kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy to power an average home. A system designed that requires batteries a small ranch could produce around 4000 kWh of energy for a year, if wind is constant year round.
Using Solar panels to collect rays from the sun and converting them into power is a completely pollution free way to create power. Collecting energy from the sun is also a seasonal energy as between November and February there is an average 40 cm snowfall therefore solar panels will not work over the winter unless they are maintained every time it snows. Because the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels will not work at night (half a day) will have to also purchase batteries to store enough electricity to run lights at night. Solar technology is getting better and even on cloudy days the PV panels still have the ability to collect some sunlight. Solar Panels have no moving parts which means there is little to no up keep in maintaining them. Solar Panels cost around 6-9$ per watt therefore if we aim for 4700 kWh having the system installed will cost between 30-40,000$
Another way to collect energy from a renewable resource without having to create a giant dam is to look into a technology called micro-hydro that uses a Pelton Wheel. Water is taken from a stream high up the hill (minimum of 20m fall) and then funnelled into a pipe down the hill and through the Pelton Wheel. The Excess water can then continue on back into the stream creating zero waste. This Technology uses water funnelling down a gravity fed hose through a turbine, which creates electricity to power. Using Hydro power is completely reliable, as water pressure will never be lost, (as long as the lake that the water is being taken from does not dry up). It is also eco. friendly, as the water is returned to the stream after travelling through the turbine. My Grandparents Ranch happens to be situated alongside the Stikine River, right at the bottom of a deep valley. They already have a hose that runs down the hill from a creek that allows for running water in the cook shack, main cabin and wash house. The Pelton wheel, like the other renewable resources is a seasonal resource because as soon as the creek freezes up there will be no flow of water therefore no flow of electricity.
The best way to compare these methods without buying and assembling each alternative energy source would be to look at other peoples data. These systems will all be researched with great depth and be selected according to what will be the most cost and power efficient.
Plans for dissemination of work:
I plan on releasing all the research and information I find by posting on a blog as well as writing a research paper.
Expected Results and Benefits:
After thinking about this subject and with the knowledge I have learned from my research I believe that Solar Power is a viable option, yet I am discouraged by the expense of the system components (P.V. Panels and batteries). I expect to find results that will tell me wind turbines are not a reliable resource as they are the based solely on wind that is unpredictable and never constant. By using Hydro power in the form of a Pelton Wheel seems the like the most realistic option. For starters, the Ranch is already situated in a location where it would be easy to tap into the creek supply and channel water through the wheel. There is no need for batteries as the Pelton wheel runs 24/7 hours a day but could be used so if there was a big drain in power there is always a back up. I have come across a couple articles that have talked about creating a hybrid system between wind turbine and solar, which could also be looked at.
Benefits of finding an alternative source of power for the Ranch is to power all 3 cabins, wash house, cook shack, dining hall, and gathering hall. Having electric power would increase safety in buildings as they are currently all lit by candles and oil lanterns. My grandfather has always had a dream to make his ranch into a more tourist friendly based operation but has never had power to allow for RV plug-ins, etc. This is a personal project to discover a cost efficient, low maintenance system to potentially be installed at my grandparent's and in other remote homesteads and businesses that are currently burdened by a reliance on diesel generator power. I believe my grandparents deserve a system that will help to support their non-profit endeavours. . The need for researching alternative oil is in great demand as “oil would be depleted by 2041” [2] therefore researching alternative recourses must be on the top of the worlds to do list if we want to save our planet.
