4 AUGUST 2008 AlAskA VillAge

Building Up a Power Plant Control Module

Above: the inside of an empty 30’ x 11’ x 11’ module. Our capable, innovative employees seemingly pull off miracles while installing all the associated components and intricate wiring required for automated power plants.

Below: progress being made.

Right: Barry Bryan, a multi-talented

employee who is extraordinarily adept at fi nding

solutions to seemingly

insurmountable problems.

Below: Kenny Johnson, another multi-talented employee with amazing abilities to comprehend new, complicated technologies. Not many people could make sense of these intricately-wired panels, but some AVEC employees are electrical wiring wizards!

These photos follow some of the progress involved in building up a control module from bare walls to shipping to placement in a village.

Hydraulic jacks were used to gently push the heavy control panels into place.

Bob Brouillette skillfully maneuvers the forklift while lifting control panels for placement in the module. Right: Kenny Johnson helps carefully guide the panel into the module doorway; a very tight squeeze.

Thanks to funding received from the Denali Commission and other organizations the past seven years, Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC) has been able to upgrade some of our power plants to in-crease generating effi ciency and in-stall wind turbines where feasible. Some communities have received new automated, modular-style power plants with separate modules

for the engine-generator sets, control switchgear, storage and employee living quarters.

These photos follow the progress of building up an empty control module before it gets shipped out to a village for fi nal installation. The control modules contain the control panels and switchgear that controls each diesel en-gine generator set and allows the generators to operate in parallel with other generators in the system, including wind turbines if applicable.

AlAskA VillAge AUGUST 2008 5

Above left: Bill Thomson, another technology wizard, explains the complex engineering and application of the control panels to AVEC employees.

Left: AVEC employees toured the module before it was shipped off. Left to right: Wanda Rasmussen, Bill Thomson and Jeanna Paquette.

Left: the module sits on pilings in Hooper Bay, waiting final installation. The new switchgear, control system and wind turbines will be fully operational in 2009.

Unfortunately AVEC crews get used to things going wrong and having to make adjustments. These photos show them taking down fencing so the truck and the

trailer could get out of the lot more easily. The fence was put back up, in better condition than it was in before.

Above:the truck hauls the module to the port to be placed on a barge. Dedicated teamwork and long hours ensured the crucial shipping deadline was met.

Below: Lawrence Lake and Julius Bell of Hooper Bay underwent week-long training and received wind turbine technician certification. They helped with the installation of the three wind turbines, seen in the background.

Numerous preparations are involved in gently lifting the very heavy module onto the truck bed using a big, heavy-duty crane.