NEW POWER HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 7, 4 October 1920, Page 8

NEW POWER HOUSE

1 dC150,000 TO EE-RETICULATE THE • CITY. Ono important factor in connection with tho provision of tho proposed new steam-driven pcwer plant at Evans Bay— the loau for which lias been,, sanctioned by tho ratepayers—has (says 'an authority) not been provided for in tho computations of tho corporation or in. the report of Mr, Lawrence Birks on tho site and cost of the new works. This, is tho added, cost of the almcst entire re-roticulation of the city if tho Evans Bay scheme is gone on with. Practically every street and house in the city wil], it is stated, have to bo ro-wiral if the standardised 50-oyclo alternating current system is installed, as against the existing 80-cycle current, now supplied fran tho Harris Slreot powerhouse. This, it has boen estimated, mil ccst the city an amount approximating ,£150,000, and is a factor which should have been made clear from the outset as part of tho oost of establishing a now power-houso at Evans Bay. As a matter of technical fact, it is stated, thero is no advantage in changing from an 80 to a 50-cyele alternating current as far as the lighting of this or any other city is concerned; tho lower the cycle the moro the light is likely to waver or fluctuate. That is to say, if the cycle wcro reduced to. 25, a waver or flicker in tho light would be distinctly noticeable and hurtful to the eyes, aijd viceversa, the higher tho cycle the more steady is the light. The solo advantage in standardising on tlio 50-cycle basis is the greator cHiciencv of such a current for industrial motors". M present such motors are supplied with direct current (no cycle at nil) frcm the tramways power-house, so that the new sen ice proposed from Evans Bay will, it is claimed, moan tho scrapping of a great number o f tho motors at present in uso owing to their unsuitahility to a M-cyclo current.. The current to bo supplied from Mfmirahao will bo on the 50-cyclo basis, but in that case tho current could be transformed to 80-cycle by the erection o f a transformer station at 6ome convenient. spot on tho northern boundary of tho metropolitan area.