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Seen from a business perspective, however, this inefficiency presents significant opportunities, since companies can deploy proven technologies to lower their power costs and reduce their environmental footprints. Indeed, by displacing the grid’s inefficient electricity, on-site power generation offers simple paybacks on invested capital of two-to-three years, and it simultaneously reduces greenhouse-gas emissions. To understand this potential—and how it affects Turbosteam’s technological focus—consider that the U.S. power industry was twice as efficient in 1910 as it is today. In fact, Thomas Edison’s first power plant in 1880 was more efficient than the current power grid. This efficiency reduction has been brought about by flawed regulatory signals that shifted an industrial focus on the production of heat and power to one that only produces power. To be more specific, Thomas Edison’s first power plant on Pearl Street in Manhattan captured approximately 6 percent of the purchased fuel into electricity, and it converted another 44 percent into heat, for an overall efficiency of 50 percent. Today’s electric industry converts 33 percent of its purchased fuel into electricity, and it throws away the rest into rivers and cooling towers. Imagine buying a Model T Ford and achieving double the fuel economy of any new car on the market. Turbosteam sees inefficiency as a social problem, but also an opportunity for businesses wanting to reduce their energy costs. In essence, Edison recognized that in the course of selling heat, it also is possible to generate a little bit of electric power. Turbosteam takes this same approach. While technological advances since Edison’s day have allowed Turbosteam to achieve overall efficiencies in excess of 80 percent, our philosophies are the same—if you design a power plant for the thermal load, you can achieve exceptionally high efficiencies, ensuring the minimum possible energy cost and the maximum possible return on investment. Publications and presentationsTurbosteam’s principals have written and presented much about the technological and regulatory opportunities for efficient local power generation. A brief sampling of these presentations, followed by links to more extensive lists: Books and articles
Recent presentations
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Electricity regulation in North America has failed to stimulate innovation or efficiency, forcing us to pay too much for power and burn too much fuel. Seen through a social policy lens, this massive problem exacerbates global warming and unnecessarily drives up the operating costs of U.S. businesses, thereby lowering our competitive position in global markets.Turbosteam sees inefficiency as a social problem, but also as an opportunity for businesses wanting to reduce their energy costs.
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