180 -9 goal of the accelerated program ($106 million) is to have cost effective, 10 Mwe systems in operation by 1979, leading to the demonstration of 100 Mwe systems by 1981. The program includes a subsystem and component cost reduction program, research on and the collection of wind characteristics, user requirements, legal, environmental, institutional and aesthetic issues, optimization of design concepts, and the testing of single and multi-rotor systems of increasing size and performance, culminating in 10 and 100 Mwe projects. The minimum viable program ($27 million) maintains the same subelement structure but reduces the research and technology program form $20 million to $5.0 million, reduces the number of and delays the 10 Mwe system projects by one year, and delays the 100 Mwe project by four years. D. The WEP program will yield definitive test data by 1976-77 as to whether practical systems can be developed. Should the early data be favorable, then a crash program may well be in order to significantly advance the rate and level of impact on the national energy problem. Bioconversion to Fuels (BCF) BCP systems offer the potential of furnishing replenishable supplies of clean hydrocarbon fuels. Estimates of the potential production capability range as high as 50% of the current gas or oil requirements. However, the extent to which these projections can be fulfilled will depend basically upon the amount of land available and the efficiency and economy of biomass production from that land. E. 181 -10 The major problems to be solved involve increasing the energy yield of the production process and trying to accelerate and reduce the costs of the various conversion processes. The accelerated program ($124 million) is aimed at demonstrations of conversion plants of up to 100 tons/day capacity as well as developing high yield energy crops by 1980. In addition, a goal has been established for the practical production of hydrogen by photosynethetic and biochemical methods in the same time period. The minimum viable program ($53 million) stretches out the program 3-5 years and reduces the number of demonstration plants from eight to four. As in the case of the wind system program, the bioconversion program will yield early definitive test data as to whether practical systems can be developed. Thus, a crash program may well be in order at a later date. Ocean Thermal Electric Power (OTEP) In 1929, Claude demonstrated using a 22 Kw unit that the thermal difference between the surface and deep ocean waters can be used to generate electric power. Although the feasibility of the concept was established, the project did not result in a practical system. Modern technology together with the nearly unlimited availability of ocean thermal energy makes this concept of interest. The accelerated program ($100 million) is intended to demonstrate the practical feasibility of converting ocean thermal energy into electricity by 1985. Both near-shore and ocean pilot plant and 182 -11 demonstration projects will be conducted at 10 Mwe and 100 Mwe respectively. System reliability and economic viability will be determined, along with an associated assessment of the technology and environmental impacts. The potential for production of protein and fresh water as valuable by-products will be investigated. Engineering problems to be solved include the development of deepwater pipes of large e.g., 50 foot diameter, along with methods for their deployment and the design of appropriate heat exchangers and pumping systems. A selection must be made between an open or a closed thermodynamic cycle and as to the means for transmitting energy from ocean locations to land. In addition, legal questions associated with operations in international waters must be examined. F. Con The minimum viable program ($41M) would confine the demonstration program to only one near-shore pilot plant/test facility. sequently, the feasibility determination and ultimate commercial implementation of ocean plants would be delayed. Photovoltaic Electric Power (PEP) As noted previously, some 20% of the current U.S. energy consumption is used to generate electric power by a total installed capacity Dear 400,000 megawatts. This level is projected to double over the next decade and become a larger portion of the U.S. energy -12 183 consumption. Terrestrial photovoltaic systems could provide 10-20% of the electric power requirement. These systems may be employed for central station power systems and as local systems, for example, on rooftops to provide for heating and cooling of buildings. In addition there is the longer range potential of space systems (synchronous satellites) providing as much as power as desired. The major obstacle to be overcome is the development of the technology and processes which will permit the production of very large quantities of photovoltaic arrays at low costs, e.g., at $0.10-0.30 per ft2. The accelerated program focuses on the exploration and exploitation of selected single crystal, thin film, and new concept approaches which are intended to establish a high degree of confidence in successfully accomplishing the low cost objective. The minimum viable program would force a substantial and very premature reduction in the number of options to be investigated and would stretch out the program from 3 to 8 years. d. Section 2: Heating and Cooling of Buildings Subprogram Heating, cooling, and domestic hot water needs of institutional, and cooling systems are envisioned. The objective of the heating and cooling of buildings and conversion machinery) will result in lower costs, Government and privately-owned residential structures will result in demonstrations of improved economics |