The Montréal Biodôme last year celebrated its 20th birthday. This nature exhibition has attracted roughly 17.3 million visitors since it opened in 1992, making it the most visited paid tourist attraction in Montreal.

However, it most noteworthy for being the only institution in the world that brings together five entirely different ecosystems under the same roof. This is an accomplishment whose realization relied not only on complex technologies but also on settings as authentic as nature itself and on animal and plant collections that are highly varied and typical of each habitat.

Rachel Léger, director of the Biodôme since 2006 and a member of the Biodôme’s design team, says when they created the Biodôme, they wanted visitors to marvel at the beauty and diversity of habitats found in the Americas, “with the goal of encouraging behaviours that are respectful of the environment. Twenty years later, we still rely on the effect of positive messages.

“We want people to keep hope alive and to take action, on however small a scale.”

Innovative Retrofit
The Biodôme has put its commitments to sustainable development in concrete form by integrating new, more efficient technologies at every level of its operations. As part of the energy-conservation program launched by this Space for Life, an open-circuit geothermal system has been installed, along with an energy-recovery system and energy-efficient lighting.
 
The comprehensive $8.1-million energy retrofit, designed and implemented by Quebec-based energy-efficiency firm Ecosystem in partnership with the Montréal Space for Life, cut the Biodôme’s energy costs by 52 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent. All project costs, including the extensive heating, cooling and lighting equipment upgrades, are being repaid by the resulting energy savings and $1.6 million in government and utility incentives.

“What’s wonderful about this project is that the cost is entirely covered by the savings,” said Jean Bouvrette, project leader and head of technical services for the Montréal Space for Life. “In addition, the project is self-financed and allowed us to replace nearly $2 million worth of old equipment as part of the building’s energy efficiency measures.”
 
Implemented from 2008 to 2010, the project was designed to dig deeper into the existing energy infrastructure while improving conditions for the Biodôme’s plant life and furry and feathered occupants. The humans didn’t miss out either — improvements to heating, air conditioning and lighting made a big difference in offices and public areas.
 
Some of the most innovative measures involved recycling energy from one ecosystem to the other; for example, heat from the sub-polar regions ecosystems is now being used to keep the tropical rainforest warm. In addition, after ground water was found under the Biodôme it was integrated into a cutting-edge open-loop geothermal system now used to heat and cool the building. Better quality and more energy efficient lighting was also part of the project.

So how was the old two-loop system inefficient, and how does the new heat recovery system solve this problem? “Before the project, chilled water and steam came from an independent supplier and were used to cool and heat the Biodôme,” Bouvrette said. “Both energy sources were often used at the same time and sometimes at cross purposes, which increased costs considerably.”

And as many of the animals are quite sensitive to temperature changes, “the new system was designed to keep performance changes to a minimum with respect to the previous system,” he added.

Maintenance Improvements
Prior to the retrofit, some of the equipment that had been in place was a bane on the maintenance department’s existence. Bouvrette went over some of the inefficiencies and reliability issues.

The old reciprocating compressors — 10 parallel units — used to cool the penguin-heavy sub-polar ecosystems “performed poorly and leaked occasionally, affecting operations and the environment,” he says. Before the project, there were 10 reciprocating chillers; after the project, “we now have four screw chillers, including one with two screws. The screw chillers have no moving parts, unlike reciprocating chillers. Useful life before major maintenance is now much longer for the screw chillers.”

As well, the old lamps had one high-intensity discharge (HID) 2,000-Watt bulb, two (double ballast) transformers and a poorly performing reflector. “Replacing the bulb and transformers had become problematic, both because of cost and the availability of replacement parts,” Bouvrette said. “There was also a problem with reliability: ballasts were exposed to the sun, which caused them to overheat. They then made a noise that could be heard in the ecosystems.” The lamps were replaced by a high-efficiency 1,000-Watt model the company says is much more reliable. Maintenance for lighting the ecosystems has been reduced since the useful life of the new ballasts is much longer; ballasts are now away from the light fixtures and out of direct sunlight.

Overall maintenance costs have fallen considerably since the whole steam system — including pumping trap, steam trap, steam valve, condensing tank, etc. — and all obsolete equipment was removed. This made way for much simpler heat pumps and 30-per-cent-glycol cooling and heating systems that are very reliable when it comes to maintenance.

Award-Winning Results
The program has gained recognition for after implementing this cutting-edge energy-saving program. Last February, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) presented its 2012 Sustainable Communities Award in the energy category to the Space for Life for the quality of its program; and the Association québécoise pour la maîtrise de l’énergie (AQME) presented them the Énergia award in the existing buildings (institutional) category.

More recently, Ecosystem and Montréal Space for Life received the 2013 ASHRAE Technology Award for the public-assembly building category. The project — part of a broader energy savings program that includes the Insectarium and Botanical Garden — was the sole Canadian entry to earn a first-place finish for the international prize presented by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers in recognition of the successful application of outstanding building design. This was the fifth award for the broader energy-saving program at the Space for Life, which comprises the Biodôme, Botanical Garden and Insectarium.

“This project is a wonderful example of how best practices translate into exceptional, concrete results,” said Andre Rochette, Ecosystem’s president and CEO. “Our firm’s compensation was dependent on reaching the Ville de Montréal’s ambitious energy savings and GHG reduction targets. The interests of client and supplier were thus perfectly aligned, laying the groundwork for a creative deep energy retrofit. The city led the way with a model that generates significant value for building owners from any sector of activity.”

Ecosystem is an independent and ISO-certified firm of energy efficiency professionals operating in Canada and the U.S. Over the past 20 years, the firm has focused exclusively on the design, installation and optimization of super-efficient building energy infrastructures. Its turnkey projects enable building owners to drastically reduce operating costs, renew critical assets, free up capital for other improvements and provide appealing spaces for occupants.

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André Voshart is the editor of PEM.

In today’s market, there are many things to consider when buying a portable generator — and in most cases, this is a good thing. However, too much choice can also become a problem. Too many options can become overwhelming when looking to buy a machine, especially if this purchase is one of many to be done within a portfolio. Let’s review a few points of consideration.

What Are Your Needs?
Although this is a very basic question — and one that any qualified portable generator salesperson should work with a customer to refine and clarify — it is often also the most difficult to answer as there are many things to consider. To get the most out of a purchase, consider the following factors:

Usage: Is the application considered prime or standby power? Generators are rated based on continuous use (prime power) or occasional use (standby power). Consider whether the plan is to use a generator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or only in emergency situations (such as at a hospital or airport). This component of an application is very important to consider as it can drastically affect the quality and ultimately the cost of the generator. Appreciate that all generator manufacturers design, build and test their machines in relation to their target market and the applications foreseen. A generator designed for limited use is not created, built and tested in the same way for durability and efficiency as that of a unit designed for on-site prime power applications.

Load: Often taken into consideration when sizing the generator, it is important to understand what is going to be powered by your generator. There are many types of loads and factors that affect how the load behaves. Some things to think about:
• Power Factor: Three-phase generator sets are rated for 0.8 loads and single-phase units are rated for 1.0 loads. Lower power factor loads require larger alternators or generators.
• Peak Loads: These are generally caused by equipment that frequently cycle on and off, such as cranes, heating systems and or water pumps.
• Motor Loads: Consider the size, type, starting method and operating current draws.

Maximum allowable voltage and frequency drops: These are often taken into consideration when the equipment being powered is sensitive to significant variations in voltage and frequency.

Altitude and temperature: Although they are not living beings, diesel engines do “breathe.” Air is either more or less dense depending on altitude and ambient temperature; therefore, engine performance can be affected by either of these two factors. Consider where this machine will operate now and into the future.
Voltage: Consider the ranges required at site both in single and three phase operation.

Daily power-consumption curve: It is always a good idea to map out the daily power requirements hour by hour over a 24-hour period. One finding could be that instead of one big generator, two or three smaller generators in parallel may offer a reduced cost of operation as well as greater reliability and flexibility at a site.

Consultation and education: Regardless of one’s level of knowledge when it comes to generators, it is always a good idea to consult with a local sales representative to see what is new in the market. Manufacturers constantly challenge each other to innovate or to find better ways of getting the job done. Some focus on general areas, such as reduced cost of operation, ease of use and improved safety, whereas others excel at specific application based offerings. Don’t miss out on discovering a new way of meeting an application’s specific needs.

Legislation and Regulations
Regulations that control the safe operation of generators can exist at all levels of government as well as within public and private companies. As a result, it is recommended to consult with local authorities to ensure that a particular product meets the basic requirements. Here are a few questions to ask of a supplier and to review with local regulatory agencies.

Does the unit and all of its associated components meet CSA requirements? (Does the machine bear the CSA label?) This is especially important to consider when importing used generators or machines produced outside of Canada.

Are there any local (provincial or city) power authority regulations that need to be met based on the application? For example, special safety equipment is required for public events.

Is the machine mounted on a trailer? If so, consider if it requires a license plate, an annual inspection or even electric or hydraulic brakes. There are also environmental considerations to be made. Although these may or may not be required by various government entities, many public and or private companies mandate these criteria.

Full fluid containment: In some cases, portable diesel powered equipment when brought to site must have 110-per-cent fluid containment. This means that the frame or “tub” of the machine is capable of containing 110 per cent of the fluids on board. Fluids include fuel, oil, antifreeze and any other liquid that is considered harmful to the environment if it were to get outside of the machine.
Noise: Whether in a residential neighborhood or at a concert, noise regulations may be in place to protect the public. Consider the venue and consult the appropriate authorities to see if any regulations exist in the specific area of operation.

Off-road diesel engine emissions: This is a federally regulated requirement that was released Jan. 16, 2012, by Environment Canada. The regulation specifies that all diesel engines used in off-road applications that fall within a certain horsepower range that are imported into Canada be at the Interim Tier 4 (iT4) levels for particulate matter and nitrous oxides. Although the regulation states that iT4 is the desired emissions level, it also outlined the guidelines for the importation of transition engines (similar to the U.S. EPA rules on the sale of flex engines). Transition engines are engines that only meet Tier 1 through Tier 3 levels and can only be used should specific conditions be met. Consider the following at it relates to your purchase:

• Are you the importer on record?
If so, as a company you are required to file a report annually with Environment Canada stating the number of engines imported and at what emissions level.

• Is the machine new or used?
This can be tricky as there are sometime several dates in play, such as the date the engine was produced, the date the machine was produced and the date the machine was imported into Canada, and it’s critical to know whether or not the regulation applies.

• Does your company actively pursue the most environmentally friendly technologies?
Consider your own companies policies on environmental care and protection.

Consider costs: Although iT4 technology costs more at time of initial purchase, fuel consumption overall is usually better. Will the long-term operational costs outweigh the initial difference in purchase price? Also consider that some iT4 engines require low sulfur fuel, low ash oil as well as additional servicing of a diesel particulate filter (DPF) if so equipped. These are all elements that may be difficult to source or service if the machine is exported to another location where these items are not readily available.

There are many factors to consider when buying a portable generator, and customers are not alone to make the decision. Reputable manufacturers consider all of these elements and can help direct you to the right machine for your application and region. p

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Michael Marion is the product and business development manager with Atlas Copco Construction Equipment Canada's portable energy division. For more information, visit www.atlascopco.ca or write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The reliability of an onsite power system depends on the readiness of the engine generator and what it’s connected to. Understanding some basic application considerations will help users specify the right generator.

This article considers only reciprocating engine generators, those using diesel, natural gas or liquefied propane for a piston-type prime mover turning a connected alternator. In general, these generators are 10 kWe and larger.

Required Duty and Electrical Output
The first consideration to correctly specify a generator is to understand how it will be used. There are three duty types. Standby duty is when a generator is to be used in the event and for the duration of a power outage. Prime duty is when the generator supplies power in place of utility power. Continuous duty requires the generator to provide power up to its rated maximum for an unlimited amount of time. Each rating has a different effect on performance and equipment selection.

The next step is to configure the required output frequency (hertz), voltage and amperage.

In regards to frequency, some applications in Canada and the United States are 50 Hz; however, most are 60 Hz. Engine generators are constant speed machines operating at 1,800 rpm (sometimes 3,600 rpm) for 60 Hz and 1,500 rpm for 50 Hz.

Different voltage outputs can be made by alternator selection and connection. Typical low voltages are 120-600V single and three-phase and medium voltages 2,400-13,800V three-phase. There are other frequency and voltage combinations that can be generated but most of these would be for special applications and are not as common.

The total amperage output and load starting characteristics required of the generator is a huge consideration. This determines in large part the physical size of the generator and the cost. Determining the required engine horsepower and correct alternator combination is the process of sizing.

Sizing takes into account the number of loads and load steps required to be run and for how long. It is always best to have the most comprehensive load list prepared and analyzed to correctly size the generator. This load list should include all of the various electrical appurtenances (loads) organized in the order they would be started (load steps). Knowing start sequences for the loads is important. For instance, a generator for a pump house with multiple pump motors (total load) would have to be sized differently to start all the motors at once as opposed to individually (same total load, different load steps). Engine generator manufacturers have sizing software that can correctly size a unit based on this list. Certain loads require special consideration, such as UPSs, variable frequency drives and large motors. The better the load list, the more accurate the sizing.

• Fuel Selection.
The decision about what fuel to use comes down to the application and what is available at the job site.

Natural gas delivered by utility offers an unlimited supply without truck delivery to the site. There are some regional variations in BTU content so be aware of the heat value of the gas. Natural gas can be subject to supply interruption and the possibility of interruption can disqualify the use of natural gas in certain applications.

Liquefied propane (LP) gas is often used in a locale where utility source gas is not available, or prohibited from use. LP must be stored onsite so truck delivery is required, but it transports and stores well. There can be issues vaporizing enough gas off the top of the storage tank to fuel the engine in cold weather. This requires the LP be sent to the engine as a liquid to be vaporized just before entering the combustion stream.

Diesel, the most popular choice for standby duty, is a good reliable fuel for engine generators. It does require on-site storage, how much to store depends on how many hours of operation at load are required before refuel is available. Diesel does not store indefinitely: two years is its approximate storage life before it starts to settle or separate. Diesel can be susceptible to gelling in very cold temperatures. Winter grades, or fuel heaters, are available for cold climates; in tropical areas, a microbicide may be needed.

• Environmental Considerations.
Job site temperatures and elevation must be considered for generator selection. There should be provision to address any harsh conditions, such as temperature extremes, dust or dirt, humidity, sea air or corrosive environments. Consider if the job site is in a high-wind area or subject to heavy snow loads. Seismic certifications are required in certain areas.

• Enclosures.
Generators can either be located indoors in a specially designed generator room or outdoors in their own enclosure. The enclosure design should provide protection from the elements and unauthorized entry. Consider noise from the unit and proximity to distribution switchboards and transfer switches. Ensure engine exhaust will disperse away from other building openings and vents.

Generator room applications require adequate space for service access and clearances required by electrical code. There must be adequate airflow for combustion and cooling. Vibration isolators should be installed between the generator base and floor.

Outdoor enclosures are typically made of sheet metal, steel or aluminum. They can be skintight or walk in with space to allow personnel entry. The structure of the enclosure can be designed to attenuate sound. Many provisions to address harsh environments are by enclosure design and options.

• Emissions.
No other concern about engine generators is more stringently regulated than emissions. Both Canadian and U.S. environmental protection agencies set standards for allowable emissions from diesel and gaseous generators. Standards are imposed based on engine horsepower and application. There can be significant legal and monetary penalties for violating standards. Keep in mind there can also be regional or local standards that exceed federal standards. A professional should be consulted to make sure all regulations are known, the equipment being supplied is legal for the application and permitting processes are followed.

• Standards of Safety and Performance.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has relevant standards for generators in regards to ratings and performance, as well as standards for the manufacturing process. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (CUL) set standards and makes a listing available for demonstrated product safety and integrity. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets fire prevention standards, establishes safety and performance standards for transfer switches and addresses the performance of emergency standby generators in critical applications. Some regions are subject to the provisions of the International Building Code (IBC) that require the generator to be designed and tested to operate after an earthquake and to withstand high wind loads. Additional sources of standards include the Canadian Electrical Code and US National Electrical Code, the Canadian Standards Association and CE mark. These are common for generator professionals to understand and your chosen manufacturer should be knowledgeable about how they apply.

Find a Professional
Good distributors and manufacturers welcome the opportunity to help you. Be prepared to discuss the duty type. Share your load list and particulars of your job site. Let them know fuel preference and how many hours you intend for the generator to run. Determine if the generator is intended for indoor or outdoor installation. Find out if there are noise restrictions and absolutely understand emissions regulations and permitting processes prior to purchasing any equipment. This should give you a good start on selecting the right generator.

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Rob Hilkemeier is the Western regional sales manager for Baldor Generators. For more information, visit www.baldor.com.

Does Canada have the skills, training and human resources to keep the rapidly growing wind power generating system going? Over the past two years, the number of wind turbines installed in the country, and the power generated by them, has tripled — and it could triple again in the next two years.

So are we ready? We’re working on it.

Growth in wind power
The Canadian power generation industry added 690 megawatts (MW) of wind power generation capacity in 2010, according to CanWEA, the Canadian Wind Energy Association. Wind power’s banner year, though, was 2009, when 950 MW worth of new power capacity came on-stream. As of March 2011, the 2,570 wind turbines in 131 wind farms across Canada produce some 4,155 MW.

And growth will continue, says Stephen Rach, supply chain manager with CanWEA. Plans by power generation utilities and companies will increase total capacity by another 7,800 MW by 2015 — a 200-percent growth. “Quebec is one of the more advanced markets for power generation,” he says, but there are significant plans for more wind turbines in almost every province. CanWEA reports that new projects have been built in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

CanWEA’s Wind Vision plan states that wind power could provide 20 percent of Canada’s total energy demand by 2025, or an additional 55,000 MW of energy per year — an 11-fold increase over the next 14 years. If this comes to pass, the construction industry will generate $79 billion in investment, creating an estimated 52,000 jobs.

The question is, assuming that Canada can generate or attract the capital needed to build this investment, “Does the country have the human resources needed to maintain the turbines?”

A new career
When Chris Offshack was looking for a new career after stints as a computer network engineer in Silicon Valley and the owner of a fishing lodge outside of Kingston, Ont., news that St. Lawrence College was launching a wind turbine technician program grabbed his attention.

“It really excited me, and the first day I saw they were taking applications, I applied,” he explains. “Being a guy running a fishing lodge, I felt like I got a little bit closer to nature and the environment. I saw the real need for alternative energy.”

This spring, the 37-year-old will be part of the program’s first graduating class. The two-year course is taught at St. Lawrence College’s Kingston campus, which celebrated the opening of a new state-of-the-art Wind Turbine and Trades Training Facility last October.

St. Lawrence is the first college in Ontario with a wind turbine technician program, says Shannon Claggett, associate dean of applied science and computing, and its approach is unique in Canada. With the commissioning of the nearby 197.8 MW Wolfe Island Wind Farm in 2009, and Ontario’s push to bring more green electricity online, creating a program targeted at the wind industry “just seemed to be the next logical step,” she says.

Wind turbine maintenance
“As a rule of thumb, every two megawatts of generating capacity needs one turbine technician to keep it operating,” explains Ron Papp, a wind power industry expert at Lethbridge College in Alberta, and the man who developed the college’s wind power technician program.

Maintaining a wind turbine in optimal condition requires a unique set of skills. It’s a unique installation: an 80-tonne turbine and generator, suspended on a tower 80 metres above the ground. Maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) require a technician that knows not only electricity and electronics but is very aware of safety and can work in cramped conditions far less than optimal.

“Students entering the wind turbine technician program need to have good math and English skills, and they have to be in good physical health,” Papp says. They also must either have a high school diploma or pass an entrance exam.

The program is dual stream: the first year includes the same course material and training that is given in the first-year electrician program, allowing students to change to the electrician program after the first year if they decide that working in cramped, electrified environments 80 metres off the ground isn’t for them.

In addition, the program teaches mechanics, hydraulics, electronics, computers, rigging and cranes, management of a wind turbine farm and a rigorous safety component.

At any given time, there are 32 students in one of two semesters; every six months, about 15 or 16 will graduate. There is a waiting list to enter the program, as well. Nearly all graduates find work quickly in the field. “Within three months of graduating, 80 to 90 percent of our graduates find work in the field,” Papp says. “Fifty percent find employment before graduating.”

Northern Lights College, located in Dawson Creek, B.C., also offers a wind turbine technician program. It, too, requires a high school diploma or an entry exam. The course covers the electrical and mechanical aspects of wind turbines, and like the Lethbridge College program, it also stresses safety. Last year, 15 students graduated from the program. “Most graduates will find work in the industry, especially if they’re willing to travel,” says instructor Duane Mitchell.

St. Lawrence College’s program is similar, combining a registered industrial electrician apprenticeship with a wind turbine technician diploma, a combination that increases employment options for graduates. “It gives them a little bit more knowledge,” Claggett says.

With St. Lawrence College, its new training facility has five turbine nacelles for students to work on, as well as a fiberglass shop to teach blade repair techniques. An advisory committee made of representatives of wind energy and industrial electrician companies guides the program. The college works with industry in other ways as well, says Claggett. Staff at TransAlta’s Wolfe Island project teaches an on-site course on SCADA, a system used to monitor and control the wind turbine plant. Claggett is also looking to the industry to provide co-op placements for students between the first and second years.

Most colleges’ wind power technician programs, including St. Lawrence College’s, also allow students to obtain the internationally recognized BZEE certificate, which enables them to work in the field abroad.

“Many of the employers in this industry are international companies,” Lethbridge’s Papp says. “So we also have the requirement that students be mobile and have a passport.” This allows them to go on work placements or specific training courses, sponsored by the industry, in the U.S. The Lethbridge program also attracts about a quarter of its students from outside Alberta, even as far afield as the U.S., China and Europe.

Supply and demand for skilled labour
Are there enough technicians being trained to maintain all the turbines spinning today and the ones that will be built in the next five years? “I think we should be okay,” CanWEA’s Rach says.

But let’s look at that: according to Ron Papp, one technician is needed for every two megawatts of wind power generating capacity. With an additional 7,800 MW of capacity coming on line in the next four to five years, there will be another 3,900 technicians needed just to keep the system going.

Last December, PEM reported another 600 jobs would open up in Ontario in next two years due to offshore wind production; even though the provincial government has shelved that project — at least for now — there is still a huge demand for new skilled labour.

According to CanWEA, there are 18 educational institutions across the country that offer programs to train wind turbine technicians, technologists, engineers managers and other specialists, from Memorial University of Newfoundland to community colleges such as Lethbridge College and Douglas College in New Westminster, B.C. In addition, a handful of private instructional companies offer workshops in maintaining wind turbines and managing wind generation facilities.

Even if every college and university that offers wind energy generation programs graduates 30 new technicians a year, that’s 540 per year; over the next five years, that’s 2,770 — when current plans require at least 3,900 more technicians for the turbines being built between now and 2015, and 11 times that number by 2025 if CanWEA’s Wind Vision becomes true.

Opportunities
Today, the MRO for wind power generation for Canada is dominated by the manufacturers of the turbines themselves, or by large international maintenance companies. These firms have the size and flexibility that allows them to bring in skills from other countries, when needed, and to participate in training. “The company maintaining the wind turbines here brought in five technicians from Germany when they started,” Northern Lights’ Mitchell says. “Since then, they’ve hired four techs locally, and currently have six in total.”

But with the rapid growth projected in the industry, there is clearly a huge opportunity for MRO providers — not only for more contracts, but also to participate in developing the educational programs for the skills they need their employees to have.

For his part, Offshack — among St. Lawrence College’s first graduates — is open to a wide range of potential job opportunities after graduation. “It will be really exciting for me to go into work each day and know I’m helping make clean energy and doing something good for the world.”

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Scott Bury is a freelance writer based in Kanata, Ont. The article includes statistics and reporting provided by CanWEA.

“I selected SKF in order to make the Jiaxing New Jies plant one of the leaders and an industry standard in combined heating and power (CHP) generation, regarding maintenance efficiency.”

Sales of power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) products by U.S. manufacturers sales rose 2.0 percent while sales by Canadian manufacturers dropped 13.1 percent in May, according to sales data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report.
 
For U.S. manufacturers, comparing May 2010 to May 2009, sales are up 13.2 percent compared to sales at this time last year. Canadian manufacturers’ current-month-to-current-month sales are also up but at a slower rate at 5.5 percent.
 
Confidence in the market by both U.S. and Canada manufacturers are holding relatively neutral positions—5.0 and 4.9 respectively on a scale of 1 (very pessimistic) to 10 (outstanding).

Month-to-month sales for product categories between April 2010 and May 2010 for Canadian manufacturers are reported below.
 
Canadian Manufacturer Percent Change in Product Sales
(March 2010 vs. April 2010)
 

Product	Percent Change
Shaft Couplings	–38.2%
Variable Speed Drives	–25.9%
Unmounted Bearings	–15.8%
Mounted Bearings	–12.9%
Gear Products	–8.3%
Mechanical Drive Systems and Other PT Products	–7.7%
Clutches & Brakes	–5.6%
Positioning Systems/Linear Motion Products	17.8%

The Market Outlook Report is published monthly by the Power Transmission Distributors Association. The full report includes U.S. and Canadian manufacturer data for sales and order trends for mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, variable speed drives, positioning systems/linear motion products, gear products, clutches and brakes, shaft couplings and mechanical drive systems and other PT products. 
www.ptda.org/MOR

U.S. and Canadian manufacturers’ sales dropped in April, after increases in February and March, according to sales data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report. Sales in the U.S. dropped by 0.7 percent while Canadian sales dropped 10.4 percent.
 
For U.S. manufacturers, sales for April 2010 are up 12.7 percent compared to sales at this time last year. Canadian manufacturers’ year-to-year sales rose 15.2 percent for the same period.
 
Breaking a three-month neutral position of 5.0, U.S. manufacturers’ confidence gained a tenth of a point, rising to 5.1 on a scale of 1 (very pessimistic) to 10 (outstanding).  Canadian manufacturers also rose from a negative position of 4.8 to a positive outlook of 5.1. 

Month-to-month sales for product categories between March 2010 and April 2010 for Canadian manufacturers are reported below.
 
Canadian Manufacturer Percent Change in Product Sales
(March 2010 vs. April 2010)
 

Product	Percent Change
Gear Products	–14.9%
Mechanical Drive Systems and Other PT Products	–12.1%
Mounted Bearings	–11.8%
Unmounted Bearings	–9.4%
Shaft Couplings	–7.5%
Positioning Systems/Linear Motion Products	–0.3%
Variable Speed Drives	11.2%
Clutches & Brakes	24.4%

The Market Outlook Report is published monthly by the Power Transmission Distributors Association. The full report includes U.S. and Canadian manufacturer data for sales and order trends for mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, variable speed drives, positioning systems/linear motion products, gear products, clutches and brakes, shaft couplings and mechanical drive systems and other PT products. 
www.ptda.org/MOR

U.S. and Canadian manufacturers’ sales increased for the third consecutive month in March, with U.S. manufacturers posting an increase of 5.6 percent and Canadian manufacturers’ sales rising by 18.5 percent, according to sales data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report. 
 
For U.S. manufacturers, sales comparisons between the first quarter of 2010 and 2009 still reflect sales declines. U.S. manufacturers’ year-to-date sales are down 3.4 percent compared to sales at this time last year. Canadian manufacturers’ year-to-year sales rose by 7.7 percent for the same period.

For the third month, U.S. manufacturers’ confidence maintained a neutral position of 5.0 on a scale of 1 (very pessimistic) to 10 (outstanding).  Canadian manufacturers’ maintained the position of 4.8. 
 
Month-to-month sales for product categories between February 2010 and March 2010 for Canadian manufacturers are reported below.
 
Canadian Manufacturer Percent Change in Product Sales
(January 2010 vs. February 2010)
 

Product	Percent Change
Positioning Systems/Linear Motion Products	-32.1%
Clutches & Brakes	-14.7%
Mounted Bearings	7.9%
Mechanical Drive Systems and Other PT Products	8.8%
Unmounted Bearings	13.1%
Gear Products	39.6%
Shaft Couplings	89.5%
Variable Speed Drives	103.3%

The Market Outlook Report is published monthly by the Power Transmission Distributors Association. The full report includes U.S. and Canadian manufacturer data for sales and order trends for mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, variable speed drives, positioning systems/linear motion products, gear products, clutches and brakes, shaft couplings and mechanical drive systems and other PT products. 
www.ptda.org/MOR

U.S. and Canadian manufacturers’ sales increased for the second consecutive month in February, with U.S. manufacturers posting an increase of 14.1 percent and Canadian manufacturers’ sales rising by 5.6 percent according to sales data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report. 
 
For U.S. manufacturers, sales comparisons between February 2010 and February 2009 still reflect sales declines.  U.S. manufacturers’ year-to-date sales are down 9.0 percent compared to sales at this time last year. Canadian manufacturers’ year-to-year sales rose by 0.3 percent for the same period.

U.S. manufacturers’ confidence maintained a neutral position of 5.0 on a scale of 1 (very pessimistic) to 10 (outstanding).  Canadian manufacturers’ confidence rose to 4.8 from 4.6 in February. 
 
Month-to-month sales for product categories between January 2010 and February 2010 for Canadian manufacturers are reported below.
 
Canadian Manufacturer Percent Change in Product Sales
(January 2010 vs. February 2010)
 

Product	Percent Change
Variable Speed Drives	-36.2%
Shaft Couplings	-30.2%
Gear Products	-6.7%
Mounted Bearings	7.4%
Unmounted Bearings	9.3%
Mechanical Drive Systems and Other PT Products	18.7%
Clutches & Brakes	24.7%
Positioning Systems/Linear Motion Products	31.5%

The Market Outlook Report is published monthly by the Power Transmission Distributors Association. The full report includes U.S. and Canadian manufacturer data for sales and order trends for mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, variable speed drives, positioning systems/linear motion products, gear products, clutches and brakes, shaft couplings and mechanical drive systems and other PT products. 
www.ptda.org/MOR

Fibre optics have been at the heart of many remarkable discoveries into the industrial world. But none of these advances in fibre optic technology has had more potential than the measurement of power in mainline and commercial substations.

On first look, that might not appear very exciting. But this technical breakthrough could eliminate the presently-used, ceramic insulated, iron-core transformers — devices that degrade over time and sometimes fail catastrophically.

Utility deregulation sparks need for new technology
The need for safe and accurate measurement of current and voltage is not simply fuelled by replacement of failed conventional devices. It is driven by the trend towards power utility deregulation. The separation of generation, transmission and distribution, especially in the United States, is creating a burgeoning market for advanced technology. Like the long-distance telephone competition of the past decade, the drive to become "your power company" could soon become another commercial bazaar.

One company, NxtPhase, a Vancouver start-up technology firm, hopes to lead the power measurement race, an estimated $600 million market annually over the next decade. Started as a research project in 1993 at the University of British Columbia, NxtPhase was formed in 1999 as a combination of Carmanah Engineering and a group from Honeywell Inc., of Phoenix, Arizona. The company's backers are convinced that their patented optical current and voltage transducers will become an essential link for sorting out the new energy marketplace.

The market for replacement of conventional power measurement devices, according to Steve Dolling, NxtPhase's director of marketing, is about one percent per year. While this is a large and stable market, a further bonus lies in progressive deregulation.

Most power in Canada is now supplied by government subsidiary utilities. But in the U.S., large investor-owned firms are the norm, operating on fixed rates of return. In both cases, these suppliers monopolize supply, transmission and distribution. In many jurisdictions, they are being ordered to dismantle, and to sell off their generation and sometimes their distribution functions, to allow wider access to these functions and create a more efficient industry.

A network of firms — and power brokers — will result, with power sales and purchases at each interface. Under load fluctuations, some wholesale power costs can vary widely, often bearing no relationship to the selling price. For energy producers, base loads might be provided by steady-state sources such as nuclear or coal-fired plants. Peak power requirements will attract existing hydroelectric generators or independent natural gas-fired turbines which can be run efficiently during short peak demand periods. Each of these suppliers will require accurate power measurement.

"Power used to be measured only at the point of consumption," says Dolling. "Now, it will be measured at several interfaces. Power is changing hands. Some just buy and sell and don't ever touch it."

Commercial users adapt to changing energy marketplace
There are, however, more than just the institutional players. Once power purchasing cost is subdivided into its components, it can vary by the hour, even by the minute. Factories and commercial users will find it economical to adjust their processes and the resulting power consumption, buying power when the price is most advantageous.

At the University of British Columbia (UBC), Professor Nick Jeager had invented a new technology based on the "Pockels" principle dating back 100 years. [see sidebar] Jeager and Farnoosh Rahmatian, who today is NxtPhase's research and development director, developed the Integrated Optic Pockels Cell (IOPC) and a prototype for voltage measurement.

Carmanah Engineering, with the help of B.C. Hydro and UBC, has been testing this prototype since 1997 at the Ingledow Substation near Vancouver. But power measurement demands the assessment of current — as well as voltage — for this capability, so Carmanah went looking for a partner. Honeywell Inc.'s facility in Phoenix, Arizona, had perfected fibre optical technology for gyro devices, navigation equipment requiring extreme accuracy.

With researchers at Texas A & M University, they adapted the technology into a sensor for electrical current measurement. Both Honeywell and Carmanah realized the potential of their separate research projects. NxtPhase is the result of their cooperation, a combination of Carmanah Engineering with a spinout group from Honeywell's Space and Aviation Controls Division, the American giant taking a 20 percent financial interest and extending a broad technical sharing agreement. At the same time, November 1999, the firm arranged another $9.1 million private equity placement from a consortium.

Two of Hydro-Quebec's investment arms are participating, along with the Canadian Science and Technology Growth Fund, Western Technology Seed Investment Fund and the Working Opportunity Fund of British Columbia.

Richard MacKellar, former Carmanah President and now CEO of NxtPhase, is pleased with the collaboration. "The union creates an unparalleled technical group, well financed and ready to change the utility landscape," he says. With the Honeywell package comes a portfolio of more than 30 patents and a team of top researchers.
NxtPhase will maintain a facility in Phoenix, but 20 of the present staff of 30 live in Vancouver. The team is highly qualified, with a plethora of PhD's in electrical engineering and optics. Steve Dolling says they will be building the first units for commercial sales by September of 2000. The current sensors will be built in Phoenix, but voltage sensors and column assemblies will be manufactured in Vancouver.

The products they are selling come from both ends of the consortium. The Optical Current Transducer (NXCT) is a lightweight device providing high accuracy over a wide dynamic range (of amperes.) The Optical Voltage Transducer (NXVT) measures the other side of the power equation. Used for both revenue metering and control, it has many advantages over conventional technology. Now, they have combined the two into a column that measures both current and voltage, designated NXVCT. The firm has a 230 kV prototype NXVCT under field test conditions at B.C. Hydro's Ingledow Substation. In this three phase environment, there are three columns connected by fibre cable to an electronic package in the control building. Actually, these sensors have already been tested for three years in the Cholla generation station in Arizona. So the company is ready to start manufacturing for commercial markets.

The devices have several advantages over conventional measurement technologies. Weight and size improvements are clear, as are accuracy and safety considerations. But other firms also are producing non conventional devices. "We are not alone in this field," says Steve Dolling. One competitor uses a bulk optic technology for current sensing; in which an accurately machined and expensive crystal surrounds the conductor. Another uses a split magnetic core with a sensing element in the split.

Both approaches are limited, say NxtPhase officials, especially in measuring small currents, important to many independent power producers. The NXCT fibre optic current sensor uses a two-way loop, with as many (or as few) turns as needed. For voltage, others use the Pockel's effect too, but with a large crystal between the line voltage and ground and dielectric gas (SF6) or fluid needed for large electrical stresses. The NXVT contains multiple electric field sensors, widely spaced between line voltage and ground to minimize electrical stress within the columns. And NxtPhase can combine both current and voltage measurement within one column. Right now, Alshom and ABB (both European-based firms) are servicing the new market.

The boom in electrical service of the 1960s is starting to repeat; the lifetime of much of that earlier equipment is 30-40 years and in the last couple of years the demand has picked up. Considering our reliance on electricity, companies like NxtPhase look to have a bright future. But so far, their products are directed to a limited number of known clients — the utilities and commercial users of power — not a large consumer market like automobile buyers.

The benefits of fibre-optic advances in the new energy marketplace
What do these new products mean to commercial users, the factories and managers responsible for energy? Depending upon the region, deregulation is coming sooner or later and power costs will be negotiable and flexible compared with today's system. There will be a greater opportunity to organize plant functions to take advantage of cost breaks on power-greater incentive to do so.

The new optical sensors and their digital monitoring capability will also be able to cover a broad range of current and voltage, therefore useful for metering and for protection of equipment. Predictive maintenance can be identified earlier for cost and safety reasons. In special configurations, leakage currents in underground cables can be pinpointed. The transducers themselves will be safer and replacement costs lower.

Good power management can take advantage of some of these options even now. As deregulation visits more and broader regions, power generation and distribution options will multiply. Corresponding supply alternatives and cost options should benefit commercial users.

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Gil Parker is a freelance writer who lives in Victoria, B.C. You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .