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Harrison News-Herald Business
ElectraTherm converting heat into emission-free power BY JD LONG jim@harrisonnewsherald.com
ERIE, Pa.—With the tidal wave of green talk and fossil fuel anxiety, more companies are looking for ways to reduce toxic emissions. And one such company at the 2021 Shale Insight conference held at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pennsylvania last week is looking to make its own mark. ElectraTherm is producing an effective way for Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) solutions to convert “sources of low-temperature ‘micro’ geothermal heat into clean energy.” The technical jargon can be complicated, but ElectraTherm is successfully converting excess heat into usable power. ElectraTherm’s Jesse Howell said it can be used anywhere there is waste heat. “The Rankine cycle is a thermodynamic cycle widely used by power plants to convert water into steam, then expanding that steam through a turbine to produce mechanical work. The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is a refinement of this technology, using an organic working fluid in place of water. This working fluid, in our case pentafluoropropane, has a boiling point less than that of water in order to utilize lower temperature heat sources when compared to larger Rankine cycles,” according to the ElectraTherm website. “So, what we’re doing is providing efficiency for customers. Anytime they have heat, say from a compression engine or any source really, whether it’s geothermal, stack heat, or biomass source, we convert that heat to emission-free electricity in an effort to improve their efficiency,” Howell explained. The company was formed in 2005 and has installed over 100 units in 14 countries worldwide; the ElectraTherm device can be used on anything producing heat at the right temperature. “We’ve got almost two million hours of runtime,” said Rob Emrich of ElectraTherm. “It’s a rather new technology, but it’s a very proven technology.” He called the business “mature” after many years of imperfections in developing the system. But the early failures turned the market away from the concept of ORC. “That soured the market on the concept
of Organic Rankine Cycle,” Emrich explained. But after the dust cleared, the German company Bitzer Group bought ElectraTherm, and their compressor is being used “as an expander to make electricity.” Emrich said 90% of heat from industrial waste is being underutilized because the temperatures aren’t high enough to generate steam, but ElectraTherm can use a lower temperature to convert the heat to electricity. As for the cost, their units range from 75 to 300 kilowatts, with their goal of under $2,000 per kilowatt. But it also depends on how much heat is brought to them. “The return on investment timeline is really about how much heat you can bring me to run at optimum output,” Howell explained. “If you give us enough heat to make maximum output your cost per kilowatt is far less than if you give us a small amount of heat, and we can only make 20% of the rated output.” Emrich said there are two purposes in using the device: creating electricity and cooling the engine. “And the cooling unit, although it does make power, its primary purpose is to offset cooling,” Emrich explained. “So, it’s like a radiator that doesn’t use power; it makes power.” Some of the requests they get for using the device range from geothermal to industrial waste heat recovery. He gave one example of a crematorium located out west that wants to capture the heat they produce to make electricity. “We’re installed already in Germany on a crematorium,” Emrich said. “Wherever there’s heat, if there’s enough heat in the right temperature range, we don’t care where it comes from.” Other worldwide examples include biomass boilers in the UK and France installing the device on landfill engines and using engine heat in the Czech Republic to make electricity from biogas. In the oil and gas world, with gas compression, they can utilize their jacket water circuit instead of a radiator and convert it to electricity instead of consuming it. But the technology hasn’t made its way to Ohio yet. Emrich said industrial stack heat from brick manufacturers or casting facilities were the only inquiries in the state. The closest to the area they’ve contracted to do business is in Virginia and New York, but they have their eye on landfill waste, which could be a gold mine considering garbage will never go out of business.
Electric vehicle charging now publicly available at ODOT and ODNR facilities COLUMBUS—Public electric vehicle charging stations are now available at four state-owned locations thanks to funds provided by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Volkswagen Mitigation Settlement and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The two sites are located at ODOT facilities: District 8 headquarters in Lebanon, Ohio and a District 7 maintenance facility near Clayton. And two additional site locations can be found at Ohio Department of Natural Resources parks, Hueston Woods State Park near Oxford and Caesar’s Creek State Park close to Waynesville. The Level 2 chargers are fully operational and can be found on the PlugShare EV charging app. “We’re seeing a shift to electric vehicles underway in the market. Legacy companies are pivoting to new ways of doing business, and startups are entering the sector,” said Jack Marchbanks, director of ODOT. “By installing these electric vehicle chargers at state facilities, Ohio will continue leading the way in the changing landscape of transportation and help mitigate range anxiety in the process.” “We are looking forward to the opportunities that will come as a result of this project; this is just the beginning,” said Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “We hope the installation of charging stations at state parks and lodges will allow electric vehicle drivers to travel further and explore more of Ohio’s natural wonders.” Electrada, an Ohio company, has partnered with ODOT and ODNR on this project and will own, operate, and maintain the electric vehicle charging equipment
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BY JD LONG jim@harrisonnewsherald.com NEW PHILADELPHIA—Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Chief Engineer Boris Slogar recently informed the board of the yearly drawdown schedule for their waterways. He announced four reservoirs would be drawn down “further than normal.” Atwood, Charles Mill, Seneca, and Tappan Lakes are scheduled for “shoreline stabilization” with Leesville being drawn down even farther “in order to accommodate a fire department that wants to rehab a dry hydrant.” In addition, Clendening and Pleasant Hill will be drawn down to their normal depth. He said the information is to be shared soon after with the Army Corps of Engineers and stated they have been accommodating. “This is typically the schedule we keep,” Slogar explained. “Although, I will say this is — not to be funny — fluid, in the sense that if we do need to maintain a drawdown a little longer, the Army Corps has been very
CADIZ—The Ohio Water Development Authority awarded $2.2 million through low-interest loans to Ohio communities to improve wastewater and drinking water infrastructure and make water quality improvements for Ohioans. For September, the Authority funded six projects that will provide upgrades and replace aging infrastructure. The six awarded projects received an interest rate ranging from 1.46% to 1.67%. And Cadiz was one of the locations that received a loan from Ohio Water Development Authority’s Fresh Water Loan Program. The village is receiving $104,150.00 at 1.67% for five years for the design of water system improvements, including 4,600 feet of waterline along Grant, Deersville, and Jarvis Streets and U.S. Route 250, replacement of 1,572 water meters, and enhancements to the Edgar Hill and Grant Street storage tanks. Ohio created the Water Development Authority to provide funding for the construction of public water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the state. Since its creation in 1968, OWDA has pursued borrowing that assures the lowest cost of funds to maintain low borrowing rates for Ohio’s local governments. These low borrowing rates allow local governments to construct necessary water and sewer improvements while minimizing the impact on user charges.
Cadiz hiring laborer for street department
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installed. Across the four sites, there are 12 new Level 2 charging stations installed. Level 2 charging is well-suited for attractions and workplaces across Ohio, allowing electric vehicle owners to restore a significant charge to their vehicles at a lower voltage over a few hours. “The electric vehicle market is growing extremely quickly, and we recognize the need to meet growing driver demand by installing more of these easily accessible and dependable charging stations,” said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada. “We are thrilled to add more charging ports to make it easier for EV owners to power their vehicles.” In the past year, DriveOhio has released two studies focused on statewide EV policy. The first from 2020 was the Electric Vehicle Charging Study. A statewide strategy was outlined in the study, identifying key steps necessary for expanding Ohio’s electric vehicle impact. In addition, the strategy identified various charging sites needed to build EV-friendly corridors throughout the state. The second EV policy piece, the Ohio Freight Electrification Study, was released in September 2021. The report details existing practices and the future framework needed to facilitate the freight and logistics industries’ transition to EVs. The study evaluates the current state of play through an industry lens, and feedback was collected from early adopters. As EVs scale on the roadways, public and private projects such as this will help facilitate the charging infrastructure buildout that will be needed over the next decade as electric vehicle sales continue to increase year over year.
MWCD sets drawdown schedule
Cadiz awarded loan for water infrastructure improvement
Harrison News-Herald Photo/JD LONG The semi-hermetic, twin-screw expander is what ElectraTherm says gives it the edge over the competition for waste heat recovery and turning it into electricity. The machine was on display at the 2021 Shale Insight Conference held in Erie, Pennsylvania last week.
Saturday, October 9, 2021
CADIZ—Last week at the Cadiz council meeting, no one subject dominated, but several more minor issues were addressed and a few motions approved. Under property, village solicitor Costa D. Mastros told the council he would file zoning code violations for residents who do not comply with the village code.
And they talked about what is not permitted: using one’s residence as a scrapyard or parking vehicles in yards. Under the street department, council member John Vermillion proposed a motion to advertise for an equipment operator or a laborer. He explained that if they can’t find an operator, they need to hire a laborer at least. So the council decided to advertise for both positions but will only hire one.
good to work with in that regard.” He stated sometimes start dates would be altered due to weather. When asked how long a refill would take, Slogar said it depends on the weather, especially for Charles Mill and Pleasant Hill in the northwest sector of their territory. “The one we’re concerned about usually is Tappan,” Slogar said. “While we’ve never not hit a refill in my time, you know, it’s just the ratio of drainage area, it’s a reservoir size and the characteristic of that watershed. It can react slowly if there isn’t enough precipitation. So that’s the only one we really look at, but everyone’s different.”
Cadiz swears in new officers, tables Harrison Hills real estate agreement BY JD LONG jim@harrisonnewsherald.com
During last week’s Cadiz council meeting, police chief Ryan McCann said two new officers had been sworn in, and new officer CJ Byers will work on a part-time, as-needed basis. McCann said Byers would be working about eight hours every two weeks. Then village solicitor Costa D. Mastros suggested that Ordinance 2021-20 be tabled for the fourth time after Mayor John Migliore began his reading. The ordinance was to authorize the mayor “to enter into a real estate purchase agreement with the Harrison Hills City School District Board of Education.” Mastros said the village had yet to receive anything final regarding the school’s acquisition of the park’s baseball field. “Everything is just hinging on the school right now,” Vermillion explained. “The village is ready to take action whenever the school gets everything they need,” Mastros added. The only thing Mastros has not received yet is the title report. Jewett swears in new council member A vacancy occurred on the Jewett village council when member George “Bo” Bailie moved into the mayor’s seat after the passing of former mayor Dwight Busby. Bailie has been the acting mayor ever since and plans to run in the November election. On Wednesday, Bailie’s council seat was filled when he swore in Steve Stewart (left) after council member Rick Meneely’s motion to nominate passed unanimously.
