Distributed Electrical Power Generation: Summary of Alternative Available Technologies

Abstract

The Federal government is the greatest consumer of electricity in the nation. Federal procurement and installation of higher efficiency energy sources promises many benefits, in terms of economy, employment, export, and environment. While distributed generation (DG) technologies offer many of the benefits of alternative, efficient energy sources, few DG systems can currently be commercially purchased "off the shelf", and complicated codes and standards deter potential users. Federal use of DG demonstrates the technology, can help drive down costs, and can help lead the general public to accept a changing energy scheme. This work reviews and describes various distributed generation technologies, including fuel cells, microturbines, wind turbines, photovoltaic arrays, and Stirling engines. Issues such as fuel availability, construction consideration, and protection controls are addressed. Sources of further information are provided.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA421197

Entities

People

  • Franklin H. Holcomb
  • Nicholas M. Josefik
  • Sarah J. Scott

Organizations

  • Engineer Research and Development Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemistry
  • Electric Power Production
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Energy Storage
  • Energy Transfer
  • Gas Turbines
  • Heat Transfer
  • Hybrid Power
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Renewable Energy
  • Solar Cells
  • Solar Energy
  • Wind Energy
  • Wind Turbines

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology