Florida DOC Studies Microturbine Technology

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) recently announced a partnership with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the state’s Tomoka Correctional Institution to study microturbine energy technology.

“FPL believes that technology — combined with energy conservation — is needed to meet the electric needs of customers and support environmental initiatives now and in the future,” said Paul Hamilton, vice president of state legislative affairs for FPL. The project places a microturbine at the Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach.

Microturbines are small combustion generators that efficiently create heat and electricity on-site, conserving grid power. About the size of a refrigerator, the natural gas fueled microturbine at Tomoka has extremely low emissions of smog-forming NOx and other pollutants compared to other energy sources, officials say. The Tomoka project is grid-connected to FPL”s electric system. It will heat water for the laundry area at the correctional facility.

FPL and EPRI partnered to purchase the $50,000 microturbine and fund the research and development for a total cost of about $360,000. The 60 kW Capstone microturbine will be studied during an experimental period lasting approximately one year.

The study will determine how the microturbine might be used as back-up energy generation, as a stand-alone power source, and as a device to be deployed to reduce energy peaks. Additionally, the test project will evaluate the viability of the technology by measuring the performance of the system compared to its technical specifications. The project team will test the unit's reliability, assess the equipment's readiness for commercial service, identify technical obstacles, ease of maintenance and operation cost.

“There are about 3,000 Capstone microturbines worldwide, but very few in Florida,” said Capstone spokesman Keith Field.” In 1998, Capstone was the first to offer commercial power products utilizing microturbine technology, the result of more than ten years of focused research, the company says.