Capstone CHP systems for Alaska

Capstone Green Energy Corp. said its Alaska distributor, Arctic Energy, Inc., has secured an order for five Capstone 65 kW integrated heating and power (ICHP) dual-mode microturbines. The system was purchased by a waste management facility that is part of the municipality of Anchorage. It will provide both heat and power for all the facility’s critical infrastructure required to operate the site.

Capstone will supply five 65 kW integrated heating and power (ICHP) dual-mode microturbines for a waste management facility in Alaska. (Photo: Capstone)

Fueled by natural gas, the microturbine-based energy array will run in “multi-pack,” providing 325 kW of power as it operates primarily in parallel with the local utility. Using Capstone’s automatic dual-mode capabilities, the system will be able to automatically switch to standalone backup power in the event of a local grid failure. The system is expected to be commissioned in September 2022.

The customer pursued the new power system as part of its plan to expand one of its main facilities. This presented an opportunity to establish new energy efficiencies that had not previously been part of the site. After considering solar and battery storage options, it was determined that a combined heat and power or CHP system would be the most reliable and economical solution. Though solar and battery integration will be possible in the future, they will not be part of the current configuration.

“Arctic Energy is proud to be part of the municipality’s energy savings and management progress,” said Greg Porter, president of Arctic Energy. “Municipalities employ many people and at the same time must plan for rising infrastructure costs. In Alaska, those costs are paid for by property taxes. So it’s more important than ever that Municipalities look at energy reduction and savings to retain good employees and reduce the operating costs for future expansion.”