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radically changed the perception of Comparing technologies can immediately enhance that distributed power. So has growing Distributed power developers have four technology's competitive position in demand for power and the dwindling basic technology choices other than distributed power. supply of utilities' back-up power,or renewables: gas turbine generators, The US OoE's programme for spinning reserves. A decade ago, microturbines, fuel cells and Advanced Reciprocating Engine distributed power mainly meant reciprocating engine gen-sets. Systems(ARES) aims to develop installing gen-sets to help utilities meet Gas turbine generators are generally cleaner, more efficient gaseous-fueled spikes in demand, with total gen-set run cost-effective only for large-scale engines, largely for the distributed times typically averaging 100-to-200 applications involving long, continuous power market.The DoE acknowledges hours per year. run times at full load, especially where that reciprocating engines are the the typically high quality exhaust heat fastest-selling, lowest-cost DG Worldwide Power Generation can be recovered and used to offset a technology in the world. 150 ---- local thermal load. The DoE and major engine I (New Capacity Additions year) i Microturbines, promise very low manufacturers support the ARES 100 —::* emissions and high efficiency in programme, which over the next several i cogeneration service. However at years will produce a new generation of .... -_.. ----- present their capital costs are far highly advanced gas engines. 50 --F""^ — too high to compete in today's ,. Cast of Electricity Comparison distributed power market, and the 0 — technology is not yet proven Advanced Gas 1989 1994 2000 reliable. I I I I Lean Burn Gas • Combustion Turbines Fuel cells are also I 111I • I a Central Power Plants developmental, and their high DieselSCR • Reciprocating Generator Sets installed costs limited them to Small Turbine • 'Fi g ure 2 applications where power quality or I environmental performance l I Today, utilities need supplemental overrides all other considerations. Fuel Cell r:_r'----:; peaking power on more days and for On the other hand, reciprocating 0 .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08 more hours per day As a direct engine gen-sets are well-proven in ] Capital a Non Fuel O&M • Fuel consequence, the DG market is looking a wide range of distributed power toward natural gas. applications. Over the past Figure 3 Worldwide, natural gas is the fastest- decade, they have provided a fast- growing fuel for power production. In growing share of the world's Manufacturer and supplier teams will the next 20 years, global use of natural generating capacity additions(see strive to improve engine performance gas for power generation is projected to Figure 2). They perform well in using advanced materials, new fuel double. According to the US intermittent service and operate handling and processing systems, and Department of Energy(DoE), the natural efficiently with variable, cyclic loads. advanced ignition and combustion gas share of the electricity market in the The technology is simple and well systems.The goal of ARES is to US is expected to increase from 15 per understood. Qualified service produce gas engines with: cent in 1999 to 32 per cent in 2020. technicians and replacement parts are Longer-hour distributed power readily available worldwide. • Installed cost from $400 to$450. applications tend to favour natural gas Installation is fast and simple: mobile, • Thermal efficiency 50 per cent(30 technologies because they deliver packaged gen-sets can be delivered per cent higher than today's extremely low air emissions. Diesel- and installed within hours; permanent engines). fueled systems are still preferred in systems can be online and producing • NOx emissions at or below 0.1 standby and short-run installations with power within a few months from the grams per brake horsepower-hour low-sulphur fuels and lower-emission date ordered, at attractive installed (a 95 per cent reduction from today's control technologies, ensuring that they system costs from US$450 to $600 per engines). have a role in the short-hour distributed kW. Units are relatively straightforward • Significant increases in service power market. to site and permit; multiple units can intervals, resulting in major • As concerns rise about air emissions, meet power requirements of virtually reductions in maintenance costs. local and national governments are any size. Finally, in today's distributed steadily tightening standards that limit Gen-sets powered by ARES engines power applications, typically 500 or will help make DG more economically nitrogen oxide (NOx) and other more annual operating hours, gen-sets attractive. It will be part of the solution emissions from power generation. In deliver the lowest cost of electricity(see the US, California's air-quality regula- Figure 3). to power supply and demand tions virtually exclude fuels other than imbalances, and it will be one of the natural gas outside of critical standby tools power users will have at their Advancing engine technology disposal to hel p develop sound energy applications. In Europe, TA Luft While aggressive research and strategies. Or emission limits rank among the strictest 9 development supports advances in the in the world. newer fuel cell and microturbine CATERPILLAR Given these realities, clean, higher- technologies, gas-fueled gen-sets are • hour distributed power technologies not standing still. Private and For information about Caterpillar products and becomes a choice among natural-gas- government researchers acknowledge services,contact your local Cat'dealer or visit fueled systems. that improvements in gen-set efficiency 'n,vs.cat-electncpD•:Ieccom REPRINTED FRWN VroRLDeIDE INDEPENDENT POWER • JtNE 2003