Industrial Onsite Energy Solutions

Fit-for-Purpose Power Solutions.

Agriculture

Growing Efficiency.

Agricultural operations rely on energy for irrigation, climate control, and processing. Energy costs put a significant strain on the farming industry. Yet, shutting down farms in lieu of solar fields is not a sustainable long-term solution. Agrivoltaics offers farmers and ranchers the best of both worlds, producing affordable local power and still being able to utilize the land for crops and grazing. Distributed generation also provide solutions for remote irrigation, combined heat and power for processing, and energy storage for demand management.

A total of 2,544 Montana farms and ranches used renewable energy producing systems in 2022. [1]

Mining

Powering Extraction.

The mineral mining industry in 2023 was estimated to consume 1.7% of the global final energy consumption. [2] As mines grapple with the challenge of securing reliable and cost-effective power, particularly in remote locations, they also need to meet increasing social responsibility expectations. Distributed generation is well-suited to provide solutions for the energy-intensive nature of mining while also garnering public support for new mines.

Technical Deep Dive

Learn About Distributed Energy Resources in Mining Operations.

Mine Repurposing Technical Analysis Report
The United States has over 17,000 mine land sites with the potential to generate more than 85 GW of clean electricity through distributed generation technologies, offering a significant opportunity to enhance energy resilience for mining operations. These sites can be repurposed to host various on-site power solutions, including solar photovoltaics, geothermal systems (as demonstrated by Montana Tech University in Butte, Montana), and energy storage technologies like compressed air, pumped hydropower, and battery energy storage. Developing these distributed generation systems on mine lands not only provides a reliable power supply for mining activities but also contributes to the sustainable reuse of these lands.
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IRENA Report: Geopolitics of the Energy Transition: Critical Materials
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the crucial role of critical materials in the energy transition. This report examines the geopolitical implications of the increasing demand for minerals and metals needed for renewable energy technologies, including those used in distributed generation for mining. It emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and responsible sourcing to ensure a stable and sustainable supply chain.
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Caterpillar White Paper: A Multifaceted View of Distributed Generation Systems and Their Impacts
Caterpillar's white paper provides a comprehensive overview of distributed generation systems and their impacts across various industries, including mining. It explores the benefits of DG, such as cost savings, enhanced reliability, and reduced emissions, and discusses the key considerations for implementing these systems. This resource offers valuable practical insights for mining operations seeking to integrate DG solutions to improve their energy efficiency and sustainability.
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National Mining Association (NMA) Energy Resources
Explore resources from the National Mining Association (NMA), the only national trade organization representing the U.S. mining industry. The NMA advocates for public policies that support responsible mining and provides information on a wide range of topics relevant to the industry, including energy, sustainability, and technology. Visit their energy page to learn more about their work in this area.
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Powering the Future: The Electrification in Mining
This article from State of Play explores the increasing trend of electrification in the mining industry, highlighting its role in driving sustainability and efficiency. It discusses the technologies and strategies that are transforming mining operations, and the challenges and opportunities associated with this transition. This resource provides valuable insights into the future of energy use in mining.
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Manufacturing

Keeping Production Online.

Manufacturing's heartbeat is reliable power. Downtime, a costly nightmare, looms with every power fluctuation. Large facilities grapple with soaring energy bills, while sensitive machinery demands flawless power quality. In 2018, the manufacturing sector alone accounted for approximately 18% of total U.S. electricity generation, highlighting its significant energy dependence. [3] To maintain production's rhythm, solutions like combined heat and power, on-site renewables, and robust energy storage become crucial.

Processing Facilities

Optimizing Throughput.

Processing facilities often utilize large amounts of electricity and heating/cooling. Generating electricity onsite and recycling the waste heat for heating and cooling (i.e. absorption chillers) can result in efficiencies over 80%.

Furthermore, processors often produce waste streams that are expensive to dispose of properly. Anaerobic digestion can reduce the volume of organic waste, transforming a disposal challenge into a valuable energy resource. This process is integral, particularly for industries like breweries, turkey farms and dairies.

Case Studies

Explore these public case studies where businesses and organizations have achieved energy savings, increased resilience, and reduced their environmental impact using distributed energy resources.

Agrivoltaic Case Study

Technologies: Solar PV

This case study from Oregon offers a practical illustration of how distributed generation (DG) can be successfully integrated into agricultural operations through agrivoltaics. It explores the real-world application of combining solar energy production with sheep farming, providing valuable insights for farmers considering diversifying their operations. The study demonstrates that agrivoltaic systems allow for the productive dual use of land: generating clean, distributed energy and supporting agricultural output. Researchers compared lamb growth and pasture conditions in solar and open pastures, finding that lamb growth was maintained in the agrivoltaic system. This outcome highlights the potential of DG strategies like agrivoltaics to provide farmers with a sustainable way to generate income from renewable energy, optimize land use, and maintain or even enhance their agricultural activities.
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Sikorsky Helicopter Manufacturer Case Study

Technologies: Combined Heat and Power

The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, CT, operates a CHP system featuring a 10.7 MW natural gas-fired combustion turbine to supply energy to its two-million-square-foot helicopter manufacturing facility. This system significantly enhances the facility's resilience by generating power on-site, supplying 84% of the facility's power needs and 85% of its steam heating requirements. The CHP system uses recovered thermal energy to operate absorption chillers, provide space heating in winter, and power a steam-turbine air-compressor system. This system also yields environmental benefits, reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 8,900 metric tons annually, equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions produced by 1,600 passenger vehicles per year. With a project cost of around $26 million, the CHP system has a payback period of less than four years. Furthermore, the CHP system's connection to the grid allows the facility to purchase electricity based on natural gas costs, providing a money-saving option while ensuring an uninterrupted energy supply for its manufacturing processes.
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Bell's Brewery Case Study

Technologies: Waste-to-Energy Combined Heat and Power

Bell's Brewery in Galesburg, Michigan, prioritized sustainability by implementing a waste-to-energy CHP project that utilizes brewing byproducts to fuel a 1.1 MW system. This project has effectively reduced electricity costs and improved thermal efficiency, while also enhancing the brewery's resilience to power fluctuations. Specifically, the CHP system generates 8.4 million kWh annually, meeting approximately 40% of the brewery's electricity needs and offsetting about 25% of their natural gas use. The CHP system has the added benefit of lowering the carbon footprint for both Bell’s Brewery and the local wastewater treatment plant. By converting what was once considered waste into savings and renewable energy, Bell’s Brewery has also reduced its water treatment costs, alongside generating essential electricity and heat for its operations.
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Explore Other Applications

ReferencesThe resources presented are intended for informational and analytical use. Electric Peak Engineering expressly disclaims any endorsement or guarantee of the content found on external links. [1] Montana Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). USDA Releases 2022 Census of Ag Data.[2] Ali, S. H., Giurco, J., & Mohr, S. (2023). The overlooked energy demand of the mining sector: Implications for energy-economy models. Journal of Cleaner Production, 403, 136869.[3] U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2019). Electric power annual 2018. U.S. EIA.

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