Lucid Energy (Portland, Ore.; www.lucidenergy.com) today announced the commercial availability of its in-pipe hydropower system, known as the LucidPipe Power System. This renewable energy system enables large users of energy and water — such as municipal water and wastewater, agricultural and industrial facilities — to produce clean, reliable, low-cost electricity from their water pipelines (see Chem. Eng., Dec. 2011).
Lucid Energy’s LucidPipe Power System, which was developed in conjunction with Northwest Pipe Company, is a patented, vertical-axis, spherical turbine that captures energy from fast-moving water inside of large, gravity-fed water and effluent pipelines, without impacting operations. Lucid Energy is actively working with energy services companies (ESCOs) and other partners, including CH2M Hill, Johnson Controls, Siemens, Honeywell and Northwest Pipe Company to commercialize and deploy the technology across North America and around the world.
CH2M Hill (Englewood, Colo.; www.ch2m.com) is currently working with Lucid Energy and the Portland Water Bureau on three new LucidPipe installations that will provide enough energy to power up to 200 to 300 homes in the city over the next year.