W5.3 Kinetic energy
Evaluate feasibility of utilizing kinetic energy from transport of water and wastewater through piping networks.
Lucid Energy generates power from its spherical turbines in water mains. Their first Portland project uses four turbines in a main to generate 1,000 MWh a year, enough to power 110 homes. (They have a power purchase agreement with the local utility.)
Olympia’s Public Works’ staff looked into this idea six or eight years ago and concluded that there’s not enough energy in its water main to make this feasible. (Lucid’s website says that the minimum flow required in a 24″ pipe is 24 million gallons a day. Olympia produces 2.4 billion gallons a year, or about 6.5 million gallons a day.)