In-pipe hydroelectric power developer Rentricity has completed 360 kW installation on Richmond Irrigation Company water distribution system in Utah.
The project uses what Rentricity calls its “Flow-to-Wire” system and was installed as part of a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation upgrade designed to mitigate water loss.
“By transitioning to a pressurized pipeline, we have eliminated seepage and water evaporation losses experienced in our previous open-ditch system where 40% of the diverted water was lost,” Richmond Irrigation president Terry Spackman said.
Energy generated by the installation will be distributed via a grid owned by Rocky Mountain Power.
“The addition of the microgrid to generate power from the pressurized irrigation water while continuing to serve our shareholders jut made perfect sense,” Spackman said.
Richmond’s system is one of several Rentricity has completed or is currently working on. HydroWorld.com reported in February 2016 that the New York-based company had begun installing in-pipe systems in Grand Lake, Colo., and Ferron, Utah, amongst others.
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