TCC, UAF collaborate to reduce diesel consumption
May 10, 2012
The Tanana Chiefs Conference and UAF have completed testing of the Green Machine,
a heat-to-power generating system that can reduce diesel fuel consumption and lower
energy costs for rural Alaska communities.
The Green Machine captures excess heat from small, distributed hot water sources,
such as diesel engine jacket water, biomass boilers and geothermal sources, to generate
up to 65 kilowatts of emissions-free electricity. In the case of rural Alaska villages,
heat from the diesel generators in the local power plant can be captured and utilized
in the Green Machine to boost power output. ElectraTherm of Reno, Nev. produced the
Green Machine, the first of its kind in Alaska.
UAF Alaska Center for Energy and Power research manager Brent Sheets said testing data shows that the Green Machine, in
ideal conditions, could generate more than 413,000 kilowatt-hours a year, with round-the-clock
daily operation.
Read the complete news release on the online newsroom.