[Possible OT] California, and running off of generators for extended periods

Tue Jan 16 18:48:24 UTC 2001

    > Anyone using or considering using a gas turbine instead of diesel to run
    > their generators?

Yeah, we talked quite a bit with Caterpillar, and looked at a bunch of
their installations.  That's actually Solar Turbines, which they bought.
Also, we looked at the Capstone units (www.microturbines.com) for small
installations.  Both looked like big wins.  Both exhaust hot enough to run
a thermal transfer unit to take care of the chillers, although on
radically different scales, of course.  Running full-time on natural gas,
they both amortize themselves in 18mos-24mos vis a vis the cost of utility
electricity.  Obviously the AQMB paperwork for cogen is more of a hassle
than for backup, and that's where we sit right now.

                                -Bill