electricity - village living

### Storage 20 MWh | system | initial cost ($ + hrs) / unit | annualized cost ($ + hrs) / unit | sqft building | sqft land | other resources | revenue | market cost | benefits | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------- | --------- | -------------------------------- | ------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [[pumped hydro - electricity storage - village living\|pumped hydro]] | $4.2M + 25,000 hrs | $378k + 3,650 hrs | 2,000 | 18 acres | Water supply, Grid connection | 0 | $912k | Energy independence, Load shifting, Emergency backup, Multi-use reservoirs | | [[lithium iron phosphate battery - electricity storage - village living\|lithium iron phosphate battery]] | $2.8M + 8,000 hrs | $172k + 1,993 hrs | 2,000 | 0 | Grid connection, Climate control | $150k | $912k | Energy independence, Peak shaving, Emergency backup, Distributed resilience | ### Production 1MW peak | system | initial cost ($ + hrs) / unit | annualized cost ($ + hrs) / unit | sqft building | sqft land | other resources | revenue | market cost | benefits | | ------ | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------- | --------- | ---------------------------------- | ------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | $2.4M + 9,600 hrs | $208k + 2,574 hrs | 1,000 | 8 acres | Grid connection, Monitoring system | $150k | $438k | Energy independence, Zero emissions, Low maintenance, Community education | must include Lifetime Decomissioning Costs each person: ~ 3kWh/day -> ~1MWh/year 1k people: ~ 3MWh/day -> 1GWh/year 1G people: ~ 3TWh/day -> 1PWh/year 10G people: ~ 30TWh/day -> 11PWh/year what can 3kWh do? - 1500W - 2hrs: electric kettle, electric stove, hair dryer, electric heater - 1000W - 3hrs: microwave, toaster, vacuum, - 500W - 6hrs: clothes washer, water pump, - 300W - 10hrs: dehumidifier, blender, - 150W - 20hrs: refrigerator - 100W - 30hrs: fan, - 50W - 60hrs: TV, laptop, refrigerator - 10W - 300hrs: LED light - 5W - 600hrs: Phone, ### Power Consumption Context Average consumption rates for reference: - Typical US household: 30 kWh/day (~11,000 kWh/year) at 2.5 people/household * $0.1504/kWh = average american spends ~$650/person on electricity - 1000-person micro society estimate: 0.8-1.2 MW peak, 8,000-12,000 kWh/day - Lower than typical US per-capita due to: - Shared facilities reducing individual appliance needs - Coordinated load management - Energy-efficient building design - No industrial loads - Grand Rapids (200,000 people): ~400 MW peak (includes industrial/commercial) - United States total: ~1.1 million MW (average) ### Single Source Solutions Analysis (Michigan Context) | Source Type | Initial Cost ($/kW + hrs/kW) | Operating Cost ($/kWh + hrs/kWh) | Generation Capacity | Required Capacity for 1MW Peak/10MWh Daily | Space Efficiency | Stability Metrics | Micro Society Feasibility | Key Implementation Notes | | --------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | Grid Connection | $800-1,200 + 2hrs | $0.12-0.15 + 0.001hrs | Limited by connection | 1MW (limited by connection) | Minimal (0.1 acre/MW) | Daily: 99.9% Seasonal: 99.9% | Very High | Easy implementation, high reliability, but no independence | | Solar PV | $2,000-2,400 + 8hrs | $0.02-0.04 + 0.015hrs | ~150W/m² peak | 12MW to get 10MWh/day | 0.33-0.5 MW/acre | Daily: 20-60% Seasonal: 10-30% | High | Community can maintain, modular installation, good scalability | | Wind Turbines | $1,800-2,200 + 12hrs | $0.03-0.06 + 0.02hrs | 2-3MW per utility turbine | 1.2MW (4-5 utility turbines) | 5-10 MW/acre | Daily: 30-70% Seasonal: 40-60% | Medium | Height/zoning challenges, specialist maintenance needed | | Micro-hydro | $3,000-4,500 + 20hrs | $0.03-0.05 + 0.025hrs | Power (kW) = Head(ft) × Flow(cfs) × 0.085 | 1MW with adequate flow | Site dependent | Daily: 95% Seasonal: 70-90% | Low | Site availability unlikely, complex permits | | Biomass Generator | $3,500-4,500 + 25hrs | $0.08-0.12 + 0.04hrs | ~1kW per ton annual biomass | 0.6MW with fuel storage | 0.05-0.1 MW/acre | Daily: 90% Seasonal: 85% | Medium-High | Good for waste utilization, community can operate | | Natural Gas Generator | $1,200-1,600 + 4hrs | $0.15-0.20 + 0.02hrs | Scalable units 50kW-5MW | 0.5MW with gas connection | 1-2 MW/acre | Daily: 98% Seasonal: 98% | Medium | Good backup, but external fuel dependency | | Diesel Generator | $1,000-1,400 + 4hrs | $0.20-0.30 + 0.02hrs | Scalable units 50kW-3MW | 0.5MW with fuel storage | 1-2 MW/acre | Daily: 98% Seasonal: 98% | Low | High fuel costs, external dependency | ### Implementation Complexity Rating | Source | Technical Complexity | Operational Complexity | Regulatory Complexity | Overall Rating | Key Challenges | | ----------- | -------------------- | ---------------------- | --------------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Grid Only | Low | Low | Medium | Low | - Utility negotiations - Interconnection requirements - Limited independence | | Solar PV | Medium | Low | Low | Medium-Low | - Installation expertise - Inverter maintenance - Snow removal | | Wind | High | Medium | High | High | - Height restrictions - Specialist maintenance - Grid integration | | Micro-hydro | Very High | Medium | Very High | Very High | - Site engineering - Environmental permits - Water rights | | Biomass | Medium | High | Medium | Medium-High | - Feedstock processing - System maintenance - Air quality permits | ### Hydro - Potential power = cfs × ft head x 0.085 - Thornapple River characteristics: ~1000 cfs, 10 ft head, theoretical(850kW, ~20k kWh/day), actual(500kW, 12k kWh/day) - Small creek: 5cfs x 10ft head × 0.085 = 4.25kW - Medium river: 50cfs x 20ft head × 0.085 = 85kW - Large setup: 100cfs x 50ft head × 0.085 = 425kW - Timeline: 2-5 years for approvals ### Energy Storage Systems #### Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) Small-scale potential for micro society: - Requires elevation difference of 50-300ft - Typical system size: 100kW-1MW - Storage capacity: 1-10MWh depending on reservoir size - Space needs: 2-5 acres total including both reservoirs - Cost factors: - Reservoirs: $500k-2M - Pump/turbine: $200-400/kW - Piping system: $100-300k Advantages: - Very long lifespan (50+ years) - Low maintenance - Can use natural features - Multiple use reservoirs (recreation, irrigation) Challenges: - Site dependent - Environmental permits - Initial excavation costs - Water loss from evaporation #### Storage | Storage Type | Capital Cost ($/kWh) | Space Required | Round Trip Efficiency | Lifespan (cycles) | Implementation Complexity | |--------------|---------------------|----------------|----------------------|-------------------|------------------------| | Lithium Ion | $300-500 | 0.1-0.2 acres/MWh | 85-95% | 3000-5000 | Medium | | Flow Batteries | $400-700 | 0.3-0.4 acres/MWh | 65-85% | 12000-14000 | High | | Hot Water Storage | $50-100 | 0.2-0.3 acres/MWh | 70-80% | 20+ years | Low | | Ice Storage | $150-250 | 0.3-0.4 acres/MWh | 75-85% | 20+ years | Medium | | Pumped Hydro | $200-400 | Site dependent | 70-85% | 50+ years | Very High | ### Recommended Off-Grid Configurations | Configuration | Components | Total Cost ($/kW) | Space Required | Advantages | Disadvantages | |--------------|------------|-------------------|----------------|------------|---------------| | Solar + Wind + Storage | 60% Solar 40% Wind 8hr Storage | $4,500-5,500 | 3-4 acres/MW | - Complementary generation - High reliability | - Complex management - High initial cost | | Solar + Biomass | 70% Solar 30% Biomass | $3,800-4,500 | 2-3 acres/MW | - Simple operation - Reliable backup | - Weather dependent - Feedstock needs | | Micro-hydro + Solar | 80% Hydro 20% Solar | $3,500-4,200 | Site dependent | - Stable baseline - Low maintenance | - Site restricted - High permits | ### Grid-Connected Configurations | Configuration | Components | Total Cost ($/kW) | Independence Level | Advantages | Disadvantages | |--------------|------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------|---------------| | Grid + Solar | 70% Grid 30% Solar | $2,500-3,000 | 30-40% | - Simple - Lower cost | - Limited independence | | Grid + Wind + Solar | 50% Grid 30% Solar 20% Wind | $3,000-3,500 | 50-60% | - Higher independence - Good reliability | - Complex interconnection | ### Grid-Only Cost Analysis for 1MW Micro Society System Assumes 20-year lifespan, 1MW peak capacity, 10 MWh/day average: Grid-Only Connection: - Initial: $800k-1.2M + 2,000 labor hours - Transformer station: $400-600k - Distribution system: $300-500k - Metering/controls: $100k - Annual: $350-450k + 500 labor hours - Energy charges: $300-400k - Demand charges: $30-40k - Maintenance: $20-30k - Amortized: $0.12-0.15/kWh Off-Grid Solar + Wind + Storage: - Initial: $4.5-5.5M + 15,000 labor hours - Solar (600kW): $1.2-1.4M - Wind (400kW): $0.8-1.0M - Storage (4MWh): $1.5-2.0M - Balance of system: $1.0-1.1M - Annual: $120-150k + 2,000 labor hours - Amortized: $0.18-0.22/kWh Grid + Solar: - Initial: $2.5-3.0M + 8,000 labor hours - Annual: $250-300k + 1,000 labor hours - Amortized: $0.14-0.17/kWh