ELECTRIC POWER*

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 18 November 1937, Page 2

ELECTRIC POWER*

WAIMEA BOARD MONTHLY MEETING AT RICHMOND ENGINEER'S REPORT The monthly meeting of the Waimea Electric Power Board held at Richmond to-day was attended by Messrs H. E. Stephens (chairman), R. J. York, F. W. Gibbs, E. A. Higgins, J. Logan, W. Max and C. B. Webby. Accounts amounting to £3213 ,tOs were passed for payment. The supervising engineer, Mr N. A. Andrews, presented the following report on the Board's supply operations for October:—Headworks: Exceptionally dry conditions have prevailed during the month, and the supply of water has been low in both the Brooklyn and V/airoa rivers. Maintenance work has been carried out at the Waimea headworks to divert the water to the headrace of the lower station, and repairs have been carried out in stemming the leak at the lower station, As instructed, a mechanical navvy was engaged to V lower the water in the tail race of the J lower station, but a breakage with ihe plant has delayed the work. Generating Plants.—Brooklyn: Brook- } lyn plant has operated satisfactorily during the month, to the maximum j capacity of the water available. A little | trouble is being experienced with ihe j voltage regulator on full loads. Motueka 1 ! Diesel: The Diesel unit has run 261 i hours, consuming 1471 gallons of fuel Soil, and generating 21.481 units. It ! starts instantaneously, and is operating j satisfactorily. Waimea Stations: Both ! plants are in good order, and. since ■ the 16th, when the tie line was con- ! nected in, have been operating at their j maximum output consistent with the | water supply available, i Supply Operations: The units requir;cd for the month were as follows: I Brooklyn, peak 248, units 75,710, 1936 | 75,330; Diesel, 100, 21,481, (226); Waimea iPlants. 130, 57.979, (28,220); purchased : (Hume Power), 300, 15,600. (7147). j On 16th October the tie line between i the Motueka and Waimea areas was ! completed, and the connections phased ; out and the Waimea plants sychronised lin with the Motueka plants. Difficulty !has been experienced in maintaining j continuity of supply throughout the ■area during the month, and some minor interruptions have occurred. The exceptionally dry period has necessitated drawing additional power from the Hume Company’s plant, and paralleling j difficulties have increased the problem | of continuous supply. The rapid :n----1 crease in load has resulted in 16,985 ad|ditional units being required over last month, and an increase of 59.317 above the same month last year. The flow in the Brooklyn has reached the lowest level yet recorded, being one eusefc, and the Wairoa river has been exceptionally low'. The storage of water in the Brooklyn dam has been a great i asset in maintaining a sunply during I peak hours, and while Ihe Stoke Diesel !is shut down, and peaks of over 450 | k.w.’s are frequently occurring. The present method ot maintaining supply is for the Upper and Lower Waimea Stations to operate at their maximum output consistent with maintaining the highest head for efficient operation. They operate in parallel with the | Brooklyn plant, and the Diesel at Motueka: both these plants supplying the remaining required for the whole area, iAt 10 a.m. the Stoke plant is called |on to operate in parallel with the I Board's plants, and runs at an output of | approximately. 250 k.w. until 10 p.m. During these hours the Waimea plants are operating at maximum output, and the Brooklyn unit is almost closed down but supplying the surplus power required in the Motueka area. If the surplus required from Brooklyn exceeds 60 k.w. the Motueka Diesel comes in and allows the Brooklyn plant to close down. During these hours water is accumulated in the Brooklyn dam sufficient to supply the whole area, with the assistance of the Waimea plants, from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. while the j Stoke plant is closed down. For satisfactory operation co-ordination of all j plants from a central position is necesjsary to control the distribution of ■ power between the stations as required, jas one station closing clown might seriously overload the plants remaining in service. Heavy winds early in November caused interruption to supply in several areas and a tree blown across the line in the Tasman district at 4 p.m. on the 3rd resulted in the tie line being automatically disconnected at each end. A gang patrolled the line from each end and the fault was cleared and power restored at 7 p.m. Installations: The consumers connected during the month and totals are: Motueka; Consumers, new 5, total 1072; services new 10; extensions, 20; ranges 1, 81; water heaters 1, 61; motors 12, 527; connected load 37.96 k.w.. 3370. Waimea: Consumers, new 25, total 1086; services, 40; extensions, 38; ranges f 3, 27; water heaters, 6, 30; motors, 20, 249; connected load, 179,16, 2630. There has been considerable activity in wiring installation work during the ! period, and 65 permits have been issued, j Wiring of the Board's new offices has • been carried out by the staff. ,! REVENUE AND POWER SALES ■> j The revenue and unit sales anlysis | for the second quarter ending 30th September are as follows: Units sold, 239,846; revenue £2444 15s sd; revenue per unit, 2.5c1. Gross revenue £2923 4s. j Waimea Area: Units sold, 106,395; | Revenue, £2166 19s sd; revenue per j unit 4.9ci. Gross revenue, £2436 5s sd. I ! COMBINED AREA REVENUE i First Quarter: Motueka, £2390 5s 3d; | Waimea £2589 7s lid, total £4979 13s j 2d. j Second Quarter: Motueka £2444 13s sd, Waimea £2166 19s sd, total £4611 12s lOd. Half Year’s Revenue: Motueka £4834 18s 2d, Waimea £4756 7s 4d, total £9591 ss. The reduction in tariff and abolition of meter rents in the Waimea area, which was applied during the last ' month of the quarter has apparently resulted in a reduction in revenue of £422 8s 6d from the previous quarter. But this figure is largely due to the fact that two weeks’ revenue in the Richmond area was added to the previos quarter and the actual difference should be nearer £l5O. It is expected • that consumers will respond to the j reduction in tariff by increasing them | consumption, and make use of electricity in greater quantities for heating, cooking and other purposes and that following the drop in revenue increi/sed consumption will eventually take place and the revenue be restored.