FAQ/Fast Facts

FAQ/Fast Facts
LucidPipe™ Power System
•
Portland Water Bureau Conduit 3 Hydroelectric Project
Lucid Energy Inc. is a provider of renewable energy and smart water management solutions that
improve the economics of delivering water. Lucid Energy’s patented LucidPipe™ Power System
enables industrial, municipal and agricultural facilities to generate clean, reliable, low-cost
electricity from their gravity-fed water pipelines and effluent streams.
•
What is the news? In January 2015 Lucid Energy, the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) and
Portland General Electric (PGE) announced that a 200kW LucidPipe™ Power System
installed in a PWB water pipeline in Portland, Oregon came online and began generating
renewable energy for Portland General Electric (PGE).
•
Why is this significant? The Portland installation, also known as the Conduit 3
Hydroelectric Project, is the first project in the U.S. to secure a 20-year Power Purchase
Agreement (PPA) for renewable energy produced by in-pipe hydropower in a municipal
water pipeline.
•
How does the system work? The LucidPipe™ Power System uses the flow of water inside
the PWB pipeline to spin four 42” turbines that produce electricity for PGE. PGE purchases
the electricity from Conduit 3 as part of their strong commitment to both renewables and
local sources of energy.
•
Will the system affect the delivery of drinking water?
The LucidPipe Power System generates electricity from
fast-moving water in pipelines without disrupting pipeline
operations and with no environmental impact. It has been
tested and Certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI
Standard 61 for use in potable water systems and is also
suitable for use in agricultural, industrial and wastewater
pipelines.
•
When did the project begin generating electricity? The system began generating electricity
during system testing in late December 2014, underwent three months of testing and
commissioning to ensure the system’s durability and efficiency and that sensors and the smart
control system are working properly. The system performed as expected and is now in regular
operation.
•
How much energy will the project generate? This is a 200 kW nameplate capacity project.
The system is expected to generate an average of 1,100 megawatt hours of energy per year,
enough electricity to power up to 150 homes.
•
Where is the system located? The LucidPipe Power System is installed in the PWB pipeline
beneath the street at SE 147th Avenue and Powell Boulevard in Portland, Oregon.
•
Who is paying for the project? The project was financed with private capital, minimizing
the costs to the City of Portland or to the Portland Water Bureau. The project was fully
financed in October 2014 with capital from Harbourton Alternative Energy, a subsidiary of
Harbourton Enterprises.
•
What are the returns and who will benefit financially?
Electricity generated by the project is being sold to PGE through
a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The project will
generate approximately $2 million worth of renewable energy
capacity over the PPA period that is used to pay for the
development, installation and ongoing operational costs. As the
project investor, Harbourton Alternative Energy will share the
revenue with the City of Portland and the Portland Water
Bureau to reduce the cost of water operations. After 20 years, PWB will have the right to own
the system and all the energy it produces. Since pipelines have useful lives in excess of 50
years, this is an excellent opportunity for the investor and for the City.
•
How much revenue will the project generate through the PPA?
o
Total Project Revenue - $2,000,000
o
Portland Water Bureau will receive a percentage of energy sales generated from the
PPA.
•
Is this a standalone project or will there be more LucidPipe installations in Portland?
This is an initial standalone project, but on the success of power and revenue generation,
additional installations will be considered.
•
Why is Portland involved in this project? The project supports the Portland Water
Bureau’s objective of reducing the cost of delivering safe, clean drinking water to the citizens
of Portland. It supports the City of Portland’s Climate Action Plan goals and its plan to
identify and collect new sources of revenue.
About Lucid Energy
•
For more detailed information about Lucid Energy and the LucidPipe Power System, see:
www.lucidenergy.com. Fact sheets and FAQ about the product can be found here:
http://www.lucidenergy.com/info-sheets/
Company Contact: Gregg Semler, President and CEO, phone: 503-341-0004; email:
[email protected]
Media Contact: Jennifer Allen Newton, Bluehouse Consulting Group, phone: 503-805-7540;
email: [email protected]
•
August 2011 Lucid Energy Inc. Establishes Headquarters in Portland – Founded in
March 2007 as Lucid Energy Technologies (a partnership company in Goshen, Indiana)
Lucid Energy Inc. was incorporated and moved its corporate headquarters to Portland,
Oregon in August 2011. On August 1, 2011 Gregg Semler, a veteran leader in the clean
energy sector, joined Lucid Energy as President and CEO. Announcement
•
Partnership with Northwest Pipe Company – In 2008, Lucid Energy formed a strategic
relationship with Northwest Pipe Company. Based in Vancouver, WA, Northwest Pipe is the
largest manufacturer of steel water transmission pipe in the United States. Lucid Energy and
Northwest Pipe collaborated on the development of the lift-based turbine design that is the
foundation for the LucidPipe™ in-pipe hydropower system.
•
DOE Grant – The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Lucid Energy a phase 1 SBIR grant
to field test the LucidPipe technology.
Investors – Lucid Energy has secured private funding from a very active syndicate of
investors including Northwest Pipe Company, the Israeli hybrid venture
capital/crowdsourcing platform OurCrowd, Star Energy and the Harbourton Fund as well as
more than $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. The funding is being used to
accelerate commercialization of the LucidPipe Power System worldwide.
•
•
Commercial Availability – Lucid Energy announced the commercial availability of the
LucidPipe Power System on March 26, 2012. Announcement
•
Award-winning Technology – In October 2011 Riverside Public Utilities in Riverside,
California received the 2011 Outstanding Energy Management Award from the CaliforniaNevada Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) on October 18, 2011
for its ongoing, in-system study of the LucidPipe Power System. Announcement.
•
Previous Installations of the LucidPipe Power System – Lucid Energy began field pilots of
the LucidPipe Power System in in-line water pipelines at the Western Municipal Water
District in Riverside, California. Three versions were tested at Riverside Public Utilities
during 2010 and 2011. On April 26, 2012 Lucid Energy celebrated the first commercial
installation of the single-turbine LucidPipe Power System at Riverside Public Utilities in
Riverside California. Announcement