HYDRO ELECTRICITY.

Shannon News, 24 May 1929, Page 4

HYDRO ELECTRICITY.

WORK OP HOROWHENUA BOARD. OVER 250 NEW SERVICE LINES ERECTED DURING YEAE. TOTAL WIRE IN USE 1767 MILES. An interesting review of the operations of the Horowhenua Power Board for the year ended March 31st, 1929, was submitted to the Board on Tuesday by the Engineer (Mr. J. A. Smith). It vvas as follows: — Construction. , ' During the year new construction has been carried on steadily. The chief items under this heading are:—The L.T. reticulation of Swamp Road, To Hero, Schwass Hoad, Tokomaru, and Waimeha' Beach Road. E.H.T. extension to No. 6 line (North)Eoxfcon; L.T. \Vith provision for E.H.T. to the Tokomaru Stream near Makerua Station, and E.H.T.Extension on Aluhunoa. East Road. Short extensions to existing L.T. were made at Aloutoa.to P. Easton’s and Carter’s; Olmu, Ames Street, .Paekakariki; Avenue, Foxton; Poroutawhao; Tasman Beach; Moana Road, paraparaumu; Paraparaumu beach; and Cmbridgo Street, Levin. .Extensions on existing poles have been made at Foxton Beach Road; Hume’s Road, Tokomaru; Manakau South Road; Alarotiii, Moutoa; Tasman Beach Road; Paraparaumu Beach Road; Te Horo Soutn; and Manakau Township; Extra phases have been run on existing poles on Kent Street; Quecnswood Road, Mako Mako Road, Tiro Tiro Road, Levin: Tokomaru Township; Mill Road, Otaki, Ocean Road,' Paraparaumu; Otaki North; Te Horo Beach Road; Foxton Borough; Foxton Beach; arid. Tasman Beach. In a number of localities portions of L.T. lines have had to ‘be strengthened to cope with the rapidly increasing loads. Four hundred and. sixty poles have been erected, and 7.1 miles, 77 chains of wire has been run on E.H.T. and L.T. lines and 33 miles, 45 chains of wire has been used on service lines. Two hundred fifty-five new service lines have, been erected, and 51 extensions to existing service lines. Four new outdoor sub-stati ms 1 have been built and three moved to new positions. • Eleven new street •lights have been erected, and 50 community lights erected in Levin., Outdoor sub-stations number■„ 130 and indoor two, making a total of 132. Installed in these arc six transformers on street lighting and 132 on lighting and power, making a total of 138 traps- , formers in service’ with an aggregate capacity of 3964 K.V.A. against a connected load of 8508 'k.\ .A. and a

peak load of 2344 K.V.A. MAINTENANCE. General overhauling was done on the Rahui circuit, Otaki North to Manakau, Levin-Koputaroa Road as far asPage’s sub., and the whole of Tasman Beach and Tasman Beach Road. The latter work was carried out in conjunction with the running of heavier and extra cable in that area. On Hume’s Road, Tokomaru, / owing to the -«ad ground and exposed, position of the E.H.T...line, it was found necessary to erect some H/ poles and heavier angle poles, and re-strain the lin° for a distance of about two miles. An alteration to the Shannon-Foxton line had to be made near Moutoa to the order of the Main Highways Board, to bring the line on to the new formed .road. Thirteen transformers have been changed and re-conditioned, and several of our large out-door sub-sta-tions have been overhauled and ironwork painted. Extra maintenance was caused -through a fire in the Main Street, Foxton, damaging the L.T. mains. A severe- gale on April 30th and May Ist, did a considerable amount of damage in various parts of' the area by bringing down trees across, and breaking the lines in thirteen places. Electrical storms on September 24th and October Bth damaged a transformer on Shannon. East Road, rind did some damage to Gladstone Road line and Shannon-Foxton line. During the year nine EJECT. insulators have been renewed, three of these were damaged by rifle shots, stones, or some other deliberate cause. This number is small considering that there are 19,950 pin type E.H.T. insulators in service. The following schedulo gives a summary of line construction: — Route miles of three wire E.H.T. — Constructed during -the year, 1 mile 42 chains; total to March 31st, 1929, 151 miles 21 chains. Route miles of three wife E.H.T. — Year, 8 miles 17 chains; total 20-8 nudes 64 chains. . Route miles of service lines.—Year, 9 miles 14 chains; total 104 miles 7 chains.

No. of service linos. —Year, 255; total 3148.

No. of street lamps.—Year, 11; total 343. :

Total wire in linos and service lines. —Year, 77 miles; total, 1767 miles. No. E.H.T, insulators.—Total 19,950. No. L.T. insulators (not including 'shackles) .—37,957. Development of Electrical Load.

4 The connected load on the system shows a, considerable increase. One hundred and 94 new consumers have been connected, bringing the total yp to 2976; 332 extensions to existing installations have been connected.

Sixty-seven industrial motors, aggregating 121.4 h.p., and 39 milking and separating motors have been connected; 64 ranges, making a total of 373, a ratio of 12.4 per cent, of the consumers. , Eighty-eight water-heaters, making a total of 635, a ratio of 21.3 percent; small .water pumps, 25, making a total of 52. The total connected load, including street lighting, amounts to 8503.87 k.w., an increase of 886.47 k.w. Summary of Connected Load. Industrial motors.—Connected during the year, 67, equals 121.37 h.p.; total at March 31st, 1929, 319, equals 2842.41 h.p. Milking and separator motors. —Year,

39, equals 60.75 h.p., total, 422, equals 614 h.p. Ranges.—Year, 64; total 373. Water-heaters.—Year, 88; total, 635. Consumers.—Year, 194; total 2976. Lighting K.W.—Year, 58.9 K.,W.; total 1045.2 K.W.

Total K.W.—Year, 886.47 K.W.; total, 8503.87 K.W. The units sold during the year were 6,115,330, an increase of 209,095 over last year. . This increase .would have been much greater but for the flaxmilJ dispute, which caused the mills to be stopped for over two months. The above figures show a very satisfactory increase in the connected load, and also in the consumption of electricity, and from indications there is every prospect of a similar stall: of things in the Current year. I am pleased to be able ,o u eort that no serious accident ocmrred during the year. I wish .to take this opportunity to thank the chairman and members of the Board, for the consideration they have always shown to the engineering' staff and men working- thereunder, and would" also express iny appreciation of the loyal and willing service rendered by the officers and :i directly under me. The Chairman’s Comments.

In moving the adoption of the report, the chairman (Mr. Monk) expressed thanks to Mr. Smith for the comprehensive statement he had presented. It showed a very steady and sound progress in regard to the Board’s extensions of its activities, and it was pleasing to note that the engineer pfcdietcu the same progress during the next twelve months. To some extent the present industrial load was on the wane. The flaxmilling industry was probably not going to keep up to what it was when the Board's operations first commenced. It was necessary that the Board extend its operations in other directions,, so. that it couid keep pace with any falling-off in that respect. Projected Work.

There were two or three projected extensions during - the coining year said the chairman. One would be the Makerua-Rarigitano extension, which, he thought, had a great future before it, there being probably sOine of the best land in the province in that locality, which should be very favourable indeed for the Board’s business in the future.

The chairman added that the Board had now passed • the three-thousand mark in the number of connected consumers, and the total connected load was 8503 k.w. This must not be. takeii as meaning ' that the Board had anything like that amount of load on at .one time—it did not have half of it—but it, showed the huge amount that was connected in this particular district, and it showed how the opportunity to use electricity was appreciated. The general maintenance had been kept up during the past year. There would be some deterioration in insulators and poles, but the lines were gradually being made stronger. The motion for the adoption of the report was seconded by Mr. Barber. Mr. Blenkhorn remarked that the report gave quite a good idea to the general public of the magnitude of the Board’s operations. The report was adopted.