Renewable energy sources ― solar, wind, biomass and waste to energy ― have become increasingly common as supplemental and prime sources of energy, offering clean and less harmful and wasteful means of providing powerto our lives. The technologies are changing rapidly, which means people experienced in traditional markets will be needed to steer the course of a new wave in the production of power.
Solar Energy- Burns and Roe has been on the ground fl oor of photovoltaic (solar) energy since the mid 1970s when it participated in several seminal solar studies. Burns and Roe recently investigated the addition of solar energy (electric power or thermal) at the site of the City of Vernon 900 MW combined cycle plant. This may lead to a conceptual design activity. We also performed a study of integrating solar electric power for Sempra Energy Resources at the Mesquite and Mexicali combined cycle plants. We developed an electrical concept for Sempra for injecting electric power from a concentrating solar array into the auxiliary power system of a combined cycle power plant. Bringing the solar power to market this way would avoid the expense of high voltage step-up and new connections to the power grid.
Wind Energy - Burns and Roe has considerable experience in wind turbine technology and all the related services such as structural engineering, T&D services, licensing and siting. Our wind power includes investor and owner engineering on a large scale wind farm in Tehachap, California and wind turbine development support for the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Republic of Cape Verde.
Geothermal - Geothermal energy has the potential to become one of the best renewable sources of energy available for a nearly limitless future of natural power. Burns and Roe has worldwide experience in all forms of the production of geothermal energy, i.e., fl ash, dry steam and binary cycle, providing design, consultation, review, as well as procurement, management and oversight of projects. Burns and Roe has conducted several feasibility studies, environmental impact studies, due diligence reports, and recommendation reports for geothermal power. Our experience includes plants in Fernly, Nevada; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Heber, California; Rye Patch, Nevada; and Reno, Nevada.
Energy-from-waste - Burns and Roe has been active in the development of Resource Recovery projects for over three decades. Our work has included studies and consulting, detail design, engineering, construction and startup, operation, and environmental permitting. Burns and Roe has designed several mass burn, resource recovery projects under contracts with several different facility owner/developers. In addition, Burns and Roe has provided an extensive amount of design and consulting services to these developer clients for turnkey proposals, environmental permitting, troubleshooting and modifying operating plants, and standard design development.
Biomass - Burns and Roe has been active in the development of Biomass power projects for nearly two decades. Our work has included studies and consulting, detail design, engineering, construction and startup, operation, and environmental permitting. Burns and Roe has provided engineering, and construction support of a recently constructed 55 MW Electric Generating Facility fi red principally with turkey litter supplemented with other biomass fuels such as alfalfa stems, oat hulls, corn stalks and distillers’ grain. The plant is a grass-roots facility built in Benson, Minnesota, the first poultry litter-fired power plant in the United States. Burns and Roe also designed the Colmac Energy Center in California that utilizes 700 to 900 tons of wood, woody wastes and agricultural residues to produce electricity which it sells to Southern California Edison under a long-term contract.
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