In-conduit Hydropower: Public Sector meets Private

Inventions

Matt Swindle, CEO, NLine Energy for

Three Valleys Municipal Water District

Urban Water InstitutePalm Springs, CA

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Agenda

• About TVMWD

• Existing Hydropower Unit and Operations

• Opportunity for New Hydropower Development

• TVMWD Partnership with NLine Energy

• About NLine Energy

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About TVMWD

• Wholesale, municipal water agency formed in 1950 located in Claremont, CA serving 13 retail water agencies with a population of 525,000

• Supplement and enhance local water supplies ~70,000 AF/Year

• Surface water treatment plant – 25 mgd capacity (~20,000 AF/year)

• Hydroelectric Facilities - 4,000,000 kWh/year

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Miramar Hydro Station

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Miramar Hydro Station

• Commissioned in 1987

• 535 kW hydro station under Qualifying Facilities (QF) agreement with SCE

• Power offsets onsite electrical use

• Flow provided by the MWD Rialto Feeder – variable pressure & flow

• Operates mainly in winter (min. pressure = 60 psi)

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Opportunity for New Hydro Development

• Hydraulic grade changes in MWD feeder over time

• Significant bypass flows during “prime” summer months ($value of energy: summer vs. winter)

• Decreased power generated at Miramar hydro due to lower operating pressures in MWD feeder

• Loss of revenue when large hydro unable to operate

• Problem statement – “Is it technically and financially feasible for TVMWD to capture bypass flows with new hydro unit(s)?”

Miramar: Pressure & Flow Analysis(2007)

Flow (cfs)

Pre

ssur

e (p

si)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

0

2

0

40

60

80

10

0

12

0

Pmin = 60 psi

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cfs

28

cfs

Existing Hydro Operation

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TVMWD Partnership with NLine Energy

• ACWA’s Small Hydro Approved Preferred Provider

• Provided no-cost preliminary Feasibility Assessment (Jun. – Oct. 2011)

• Tasked to perform more detailed analysis (Oct. 2011)

• Two (2) pump-turbine units rated at combined 292-kW

• Capture bypass flows

• Offset new groundwater well pumping costs

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Timeline

• Board approved Development Services Agreement (DSA) with NLine using CA Code 4217 - June 2012

• Design complete – June 2013

• SCE interconnection approved – October 2013

• FERC conduit exemption issued – November 2013

• SCE SGIP grant reservation – December 2013

• Construction contract issued – December 2013

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Project Attributes

• Sized to meet current and future flows and pressures

• Serves on-site load requirements through self-generation

• Annual Generation ~ 580,000 kWh, Cost Estimate ~ $1.45M, Annual Revenue ~ $110k, Payback period ~15 yrs

• ~$100k required SCE interconnection upgrades

• Opportunity to secure outside funding - Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) grant ($125,000)

• Commissioning planned for July 2014

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Copyright © NLine Energy, Inc. 2013

NLine Energy:Overview

• Small-hydro singular focus

• In-conduit (pipelines)

• Conduit (canals)

• Retrofit / Rehabilitate existing

hydro

• Small pumped hydro storage

• California-based business

• Association of California Water

Agencies (ACWA) Approved Preferred

Small Hydro Provider

• 25 MW development pipeline

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Questions?