In August of this year Little Prairie Lodge, our open lodge located in Chetwynd BC, transitioned its power generation to a cleaner, more environmentally friendly propane generation. Previously, the Lodge had been powered by diesel generators; this change has led to a significant reduction in emissions at the Lodge.
Some of the benefits realized as a result of this change include:
Environmental Benefits: Switching to propane generation offers the benefits of reduced emissions. Carbon emissions will be reduced and particulate matter will drop by 98% (when diesel is swapped out for liquified propane). In addition to the emission reductions gaseous generation also offers the benefit of the complete elimination of the risk of spills.
Fuel Cost Savings: With propane as a fuel source, the cost to run these generators is reduced.
Remote Monitoring: Both the generators and fuel tanks at the Lodge are equipped with 24/7 remote monitoring. For the generators, we can monitor the fuel consumption, electrical load, estimated emissions, and 30 alarms related to the integrity of the equipment. Lodge operators receive real-time updates to their own smart devices.
Maintenance Savings: Gaseous generators require maintenance every 750 operating hours as opposed to diesel generators, which require routine maintenance every 350 operating hours; we expect the maintenance costs to drop by >38%.
Congratulations to the WFS team on implementing this innovative, cost-saving, energy efficient solution!
Information contributed by Rob Wilson, GM, Operations
