Author(s): Najilah Jones, Chase Christensen, Gabriel Thompson, Kimber McMullin
Mentor(s): Mohamed Askar, Jorge Servert, Guy Thompson
Institution SUU
The federal government has set a net zero carbon emissions goal for the United States for 2050. Hydropower is the United States’ first source of clean energy, covering nearly 7-10% of the energy generation and supplying vital consistency and flexibility services to the networks. Furthermore, pumped storage hydropower presently provides almost 90-95% of the U.S.’s utility-scale energy storage systems. The main goal of this research is to design and implement a small hydropower prototype in Cedar City, Utah, by reusing fallen stormwater and then pumping this water back up to higher reservoirs/bonds for storage until it is required to meet the power demand. Secondary goals are supporting and strengthening relationships with disadvantaged communities, improving hydropower perception and/or adoption, and integrating cybersecurity into the pumped hydropower concept, design, build, and operation. A proposed SMART workflow of the small hydropower prototype design and implementation has been developed. The workflow includes 9 modules to achieve the goals: M-1 evaluates the records, discharge and characteristics of the agricultural water and stormwater streamflows and storage facilities; M-2 estimates the plant capacity and energy output; M-3 evaluates the geomorphologic characteristics of the selected sites; M-4 prepares the structural, hydraulic and electromechanical designs for the system components; M-5 measures the impact of hydropower schemes on the environment; M-6 helps calculate the economic indicators of hydropower plants; M-7 helps prepare the sustainability indicators for renewable energy; M-8 helps work collaboratively with the Paiute Indian Tribe and other disadvantaged communities; M-9 helps identify and convene essential and interested entities, such as farming families and other communities, necessary to build a pumped-hydropower and energy storage facility in Cedar City, Utah.