Hydropower Case Study

Educational Display of a Microphydro/Wind/Solar Power Station

This proposal requests funding for an applied research project entitled “Educational Display of a Microhydro/Wind/Solar Power Station in Hickory Hills Park, La Porte Iowa”.

The two main objectives of this project are:

1. To supply a renewable energy based clean electricity to the Hickory Hills Park, located in 2228 Hickory Hills Rd., La Porte City, Iowa 50651. The electrical load in the park includes cabins, camping area outlets, a park ranger house, park woodshop, RV outlets, and one animal shelter protecting many varieties of endangered species in Iowa. The park management has experienced increased electrical utility prices and this renewable system will work perfectly for some of the park’s electricity needs. In addition to ongoing hydro and wind renewable power system, a 1.2 kW Photovoltaic system must be designed and installed.

2. As of October 2005, more than 13,000 people have visited Hickory Hills Park yearly. The project has an excellent potential to be used as an educational tool for Iowans. A combination of microhydro/wind/photovoltaic power system will be demonstrated for the general public in all backgrounds. An educational corner in the project area explaining how the overall module as an alternative source of energy works, advantages of overall system, and impact to environment will be displayed for the park visitors. Since the PI of the project, Dr. R Pecen, teaches a general education class, 820:140 Environment, Technology, and Society (ETS) to about 80 students from all majors yearly; the renewable energy system will be used as a educational tool for these students also.

The aforementioned objectives meet the Iowa Energy Center’s mission to decrease reliance on energy production from nonrenewable, resource-depleting fuels and support educational and demonstration programs that encourage implementation of alternative energy production systems. Figure 1 depicts a functional block diagram of both hydro and wind systems that have already been completed. The photovoltaic solar power phase of the project will be completed as part of this demonstration project proposal. Since winter months in Iowa are generally windy, spring and fall seasons are rainy, and summers are mostly sunny, a combination of microhydro/wind/solar power unites will be effective to generate electricity throughout the year.

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