HOROWHENUA ELECTRICAL DEVELOPMENT.

Shannon News, 26 May 1925, Page 4

HOROWHENUA ELECTRICAL DEVELOPMENT.

THE YEAR’S PROGRESS. | ENGINEER’S REPORT. \ At Tuesday’s meeting of Horo- j whenua Power Board, the following review of the Board’s activities during the past year, was submitted by tho engineer (Mr. T. Overton): — “Since the last annual meeting steady progress has be'en made in the construction of the Board’s electrical undertaking. Captital expenditure has practically doubled, but on the whole the money has b'een safely invested for the general progress of the Board s district. Since Mangahao power has been available a very substantial and growing revenue has been created, which at the end of the current year should be at such a rate as will meet the Board’s outgoing expenses. Summary of Line Construction. Erected to March 31st, 1924: Miles 11,000 volt line, 413; miles 400 volt line, 18.2; miles street lighting, singlewire, 45.3; miles service lines, 4.5. Erected during year ended March 31st, 1925: 11,000 volt line, 63.4 miles; 400 volt line 148.4 miles j street lign-t----ing, double wire, 5 miles; service lines 32 miles. „ _ ■ Total: 11,000 volt line, 104.7 miles, 400 volt line, 166.6 miles; street lighting, single wire, 45.3 miles, double wire, 5 miles; service lines, 36.5. A total of 279 stre'et lights have been erected. Sub-Station Construction. Although the buildings in connection with sub-stations in Levin and Shannon were erected prior to the end of last year, a large amount of work has been accomplished in wiring and ir.stal lation of .11,000 volt cubicles and switchgear, in order to complete tne stations ready for operation. The Boroughs of Foxton and Otaki are controlled from out-door substations and the design ot switch gear has followed the same principals as the indoor substations in the manner of duplicate busbars for the purposo of changing over on to either one or paralleling double 11,000 volt ingoing feeders. Th’e object .in each ease has been to develop reliability and simplicity and to lay out a system of control which would be practically nonattendant and automatic, particularly in regard to, street lighting. An important feature in connection with the construction of all of our sub-stations has been the whole of the work was . carried out by the Board’s own employees, who are now conversant with details; whilst apart from the instruments, pillar insulators, and oil switches, the whole of the apparatus has been manufactured in the Board’s own workshops. Sixty one sub-stations in all 'are now in active operation in the Board’s district with a total capacity of 2115 K.V.A. or 2820 h.p. Workshops.

No additional machines have been added to the workshops 'except the installation of two electric motors to drive the machinery. The workshop staff have successfully undertaken all ( repairs to motor transport, and in addition to making up apparatus for line -construction and sub-stations, have ,turned out 130 water heaters. . This is worth mentioning, that the cost of material made up in the workshops compares most favourably with outside purchase. During the year none of the electrical material turned out has been the cause of any failure or breakdown. Transport.

Transport is an important matter in the Board’s operations and were it not for the good condition of the roads, much greater expenditure would have been incurred. The demand for additional transport restricts output „of work, especially during rush periods. Repairs are, however, given first consideration in the workshop, and by keeping the lorries on the road as far as possible, we have been able, with the assistance of hired lorries from time to time to maintain reasonable requirements. At present the service consists of one 3-ton lorry and trailer, two 1-ton trucks, three half-ton trucks, i and one half-ton hired truck, end four cars. Development of Electrical Load.

It will be recollected that just about a week before last annual meeting a temporary supply of power was obtained from the Mangore steam plant, the allotment at first being so small that the Borough of "Shannon was barely supplied, and only 140 consumer, besides the street lights, were connected. On the 9th October a further limited supply was made available and this was transmitted to Levin, chiefly for testing purposes at the depot, and during the night the Borough street lights were switched on in addition to a few 1 business premises in the Main Street. On the 3rd November the belated starting up of the main generating station took place, and the event gave rise to a signal for vigorous movement on the Board’s part. The response was that within a week 712 consumers located from Otaki to Foxton were supplied with electricity, these being the first in the province to be switched on to Mangahao. From that date a steadydevelopment programme has been carried out, one township after another being livened up, until to-day the whole district is covered with electric lines, and every township has its service now complete. In regard to the grouping and financial assistance scheme which ' has been in vogue, the results to date so quickly materialised, speak for themselves. The wiring of sixteen hundred installations, many of them having three or foul different types of service such as cooking, heating, milking,, shearing, and lighting, has not been accomplished without a few complaints, especially those which may be termed unofficial ones. Taking average prices throughout the contractors have had no margin to trifle with their work, and it is common knowledgo that any profits made in this district in excess of ordinary journeyman’s rates have been earned by members of firms working hard on the jobs themselves. Perusing the analysis of load up to the 12th instant, one or two significant features will bo observed, perhaps the more striking being the numbers of electric ranges which have been connected since January, because it was not until this time that our orders for ranges arrived. Sixty-three ranges in*

stalled in the first five months makes no uncertainty of the use of electricity for cooking, but more than this, the expressions of satisfied users has laid the foundation for an extensive cooking load for the Board, .provided that due attention and push is, given to its development against gas and other forms of cooking. Water ; heating figures now reach over a hundred, and the fact that neither complaint nor failure has been recorded aganst any single one, inspires the greatest confidence in their further use, both in the cowshed and the house. So successfully has the water heating service been established in the eountry, that the cities of Auckland and Wellington are now seriously exploiaing the proposition. Another item, in the load analysis which will be regarded as very satisfactory, is the number of industrial motors in the district now running. This is mainly due to the dairy ■ companies, who without exception installed motors on all of their, drives. Flaxmills although much larger consumers have been obtained with slightly more hesitation, and there are yet three or four mills to be signed up. I have, however, good reasons to believe that these mills will install motors before very long. Industrial motors vary in size from 150 h.p. down to } h.p., and the aggregate horsepower is 926. There is also an additional 600 h.p. applied for ! but not yet connected. The number of milking machine motors will be increased very largely within the ne,xt four months, as the lines are at present being constructed in milking areas. The number of milking motors connected to date is 94. The total number of consumers signed up is 1802, while the number actually using electricity at the moment is 1583. Some idea of the maximum demand ascertained at Mangahao will be gleaned from the following figures, which is a good indication of progress: Date. K.W. P.F. Ac. K.V.A.

The diversity factor taken from the most recent figures is 5.7. Speaking; generally in regard to load development, every possible avenue in this district’has been examined because it is fully realised that to make country areas pay this way, nothing must be left undone in the way of keeping the system occupied twenty-four hours in the day. One may readily perceive the reason and importance, in comparison, of this with say Wellington City. This Board has 1.5 times as many route miles of line, yet Wellington’s gross revenue is seven times as much. Loan Money.

Apart from the amount of loan money required for interest and sinking fund, I estimate that we shall require approximately £15,000 for outdoor construction, and £6OOO for assistance to consumers. The money at present floating in this connection will more than meet the latter commitment. This does not of course mean that capital expenditure is done with. Further developments of tho district, which are going on all the time, will demand extensions of the scheme, such items being charged to capital and for which the Board have already ample authority from the ratepayers. Appreciation.

In conclusion I desire to record the consideration which the chairman and members of the Board have always shown to the engineering staff and men working thereunder during the year just ended; personally I would like to express my appreciation of the hard work and long hours which have been loyally and willingly rendered by the officers and men directly under me. Due to the care exercised by all concerned, I am again able and pleased to report that no serious accidents disabling any men for more than.a week or two have occurred.

November 30, 1924 — — 78 . December 31, 1924 196 .96 204.16 March 31, 2925 410 .83 493.9 May 5, 1925, 456 .92 495.9 ,