ELECTRIC POWER WORKS.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 34, 5 June 1924, Page 3

ELECTRIC POWER WORKS.

IN THAMES VALLEY. A Year’s Progress. The work carried on in the Thames Valley Electric Power Board's area for the year ending March 31 was detailed in a report submitted by ihe engineers, Messrs. Gauvain and McLeod, to the annual meeting of the board last week.

The report is as follows: “ The retieulaticn of the board’s area, in accordance with the proposals submitted in our original report, is approaching completion. The majority of extra high tension lines have been erected and are in operation, and the chief work remaining to be clone consists in the completion cf the cheaper grade lines. The scheme has been laid out to conform fairly closely with the original proposals, but cases have occurred where it has been found necessary to modify portions of the scheme, due to the fact that the demand for power has in some portions of the area varied considerably from the original applications the policy of reticulating those portions of the area, which will ensure a payable revenue at an early date has been strictly adhered to, and, since the completion of the main feeder lines, it has been the practice to closely examine individual sections as to the capital expenditure, total working costs, and anticipated revenue before arriving at any decision regarding the reticulation of

such sections. Sufficient information regarding construction costs is now available to indicate that the capital cost of the scheme will amount to a few per cent less than the estimate. “ The Public Works Department’: sub-station at Waihou was put into operation during the year and a supply is now being received from this point at pressure of 11.000 volts. In addition, the northern portion of the area receives a supply from Waikino, and the southern portion from Horahora. All the sub-stations are inter-connected through the board’s lines, and the necessary arrangements have been made for the transference of load from various points in case of necessity. In connection with the switching arrangements of the board’s lines, which in a large area must of necessity involve complications, we have prepared complete switching diagrams indicating the various sectionalising and transformer station switch-gear. These diagrams have been mounted and supplied to the board’s depots and the Public Works Department’s sub-stations and are under the control of responsible officials. Any alterations in the switching arrangements in any area are immediately recorded and full information is therefore available at head-quarters. The installation of the board’s high tension telephone lines, which now extend over a great portion of the area, has proved of great use in connection with the control of these arrangements, and also, in keeping the various depots in direct communication with the head office. TRANSMISSION LINES.

“ The following figures indicate the mileage of lines constructed and in operation: 11,000 volt, 279 circuit miles; 3300 volt, 131 miles; low tension, 331 miles; total, 741 miles.

“In .addition to the above, 95 miles of high tension telephone circuit, together with the necessary telephone apparatus and protective gear, has been erected and is in operation. TRANSFORMER STATIONS.

“ The following transformers have been installed and are in operation: No. 111, voltage 11,000/41-5, of 2422 K.V.A. capacity; No. 17, 11,000/3300, of 1025 K.V.A. capacity; No. 104, 3300/415, of 773 K.V.A. capacity; total, 232 of 4220 K.V.A.

“ The 11,000/3300 volt transformers, in addition to supplying the 3300/415 volt transformers operating in the 3300 volt areas, also supply the towns of Thames and Te Aroha, which receive i heir supp-y in bulk at a pressure of 3300 volts. CONSUMERS.

“ The number of consumers now receiving a supply from the board is as follows: Meter rate consumers, 1136; flat rate consumers, 1517; total, 2653. This shows a satisfactory increase of 60.7 per cent as compared with the number of consumers receiving a supply on March 31, 1923. Included in the meter rate consumers are the boroughs of Thames and Te Aroha, which are counted as one each. The combined consumers in these two towns amount to 1424, so that the actual number of consumers receiving power from the board is 1075. “ A segregation yf the consumers .gives the following information: No. of milking machine motors, 761; No. of motors for general farm purposes, 79; No. of Industrial motors, 229; total number of motors of all types connected and running, 1069. This (Continued in Next Column,)

total number does not include any of the motors operating in the Thames and Te Aroha boroughs. Included in the above consumers are fifteen dairy factories, four quarries, two flax mills, two P.W.D. workshops, two sawmills, one geld mining company. LOAD. “ The figures relating to the consumption of power for tne year coding March 31, 1924, are as follows: No. of units purchased from P.Y/.D., 7,019,366; maximum demand in kilowatts, 1951; maximum demand in K.V.A., 2416; maximum demand in horse power, 2614; average power factor of the whole system, 50. 7 per cent; yearly load factor, 41.1 per cent. The power factor shows a decrease as compared with last year’s results, and is due to the increasing load of small induction motors in the board’s area. The yearly load factor has risen from 35.4 per cent to 4 1-1 per cent. “The following is the jresent connected load in the area: Lighting, 1709 horse power; heating and cooking, 3212 horse power; power, 55-14 horse power; total, 10,465 horse power. “ The diversity factor works out at almost exactly four and shows a reduction over last year’s figures, due to the extra number of milking machine motors connected. GENERAL. “ In addition to the increase in the number of consumers of 60.7 percent., it is satisfactory to note that revenue derived from the sale of current during the past year shows an increase of 89 per cent as compared with the revenue for the pre- . vious year. I* “The progress now being made in the construction work indicates that | the scheme as originally planned should be completed before the end of the year*”