The Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) in the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University has received $330,000 to implement a Solar Combined Heat and Power (SCHP) project at the City of Albuquerque’s Sunport.  The Sunport is New Mexico’s largest airport facility, averaging almost 7 million passengers annually.

The majority of the project’s funding will come from the Energy Innovation Fund (EIF) administered by the State of New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department.  The EIF was implemented by Gov. Bill Richardson as part of his commitment to New Mexico’s leadership as “The Clean Energy State.” The City of Albuquerque Aviation Department is also providing funding for some of the hardware cost and through in-kind facility construction upgrades.

“This renewable energy project represents the cutting edge of solar energy technologies to provide power to the Albuquerque Sunport.  It puts New Mexico front and center for innovative, international solar energy development and application,” said Dr. Abbas Ghassemi, executive director of IEE.

The technology behind this solar power system will come from HelioDynamics, Ltd., a company based in England with offices in California.  The HelioDynamics HD16.c solar collectors that will be used at the Sunport represent the second generation of the company’s SCHP technology.  These collectors use a combination of solar thermal receivers, reflectors and heliostats.  A heliostat is a device that tracks the movement of the sun and orients a mirror to reflect sunlight onto the target-receiver.  The receiver heats circulating fluid and reaches temperatures capable of boiling water.  The receiver also includes photovoltaic (PV) cells capable of producing electricity directly from sunlight.  The combined effect for this technology is the delivery of thermal energy that can be used for either space heating or cooling and, in addition, PV-generated electricity.

When completed, the Sunport SCHP system will provide energy to a 30-ton chiller for cooling within the car rental offices.  At the same time, it will also deliver about 11 kW of electrical power for lighting and other uses.  Overall, the SCHP system will provide roughly one-third of the 575,000 square-foot facility’s peak cooling load.

“This project is part of Mayor Martin J. Chavez’s citywide effort and dovetails perfectly with the Aviation Department’s effort to be the leader for sustainability in the airport industry.  We recognize that New Mexico is an incubator for leading edge technology and feel it gives us an advantage in exploring sustainable ways to do business,” said Jim Hinde, planning manager for the Aviation Department.

A key benefit of SCHP technology is that it consumes no water in the production of power.  Other benefits include low-cost and zero-carbon emissions.  “The support of the State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque for this project will further the development of both new jobs and a solar energy industry for New Mexico,” said Anders Jepsen, a founder and Director of HelioDynamics, Ltd.

The joint energy project is just entering the design phase, with construction slated for late spring of 2008 and projected operation to begin in late summer.  The Institute for Energy and the Environment will monitor the long-term performance of the system.  The Institute for Energy and the Environment in the NMSU College of Engineering is comprised of WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development; the Southwest Technology Development Institute, a renewable energy research and development group; and the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center, a nuclear-waste management and monitoring center.

For more information on IEE environmental technology projects, contact Abbas Ghassemi, executive director, at (505) 646-2038 or visit or http://iee.nmsu.edu.
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Photo is available at
http://ucommphoto.nmsu.edu/newsphoto/schp_02.jpg
CUTLINE:  The HD16.c, the next generation of cost-effective solar energy for buildings and processes including power, heating and cooling, will be used in the Albuquerque Sunport’s renewable energy project.
(NMSU photo)

Therese Shakra,
Nov. 19, 2007

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