My new job includes automation of small hydroelectric dam sites in New England. The attached pictures were taken at the Upper Barker Mills dam site near Auburn, ME. This dam was recently retrofitted by my new company with a modern control system. The new control system allows an operator many miles away to monitor conditions, check alarm conditions and adjust operating parameters without ever leaving their home. One operator keeps tabs on multiple dams within approximately a 2 hour drive, making typical small New England hydro installations economical. Being able to see in detail what's going on from a remote location also reduces the likelihood of an operator making a long drive for a minor issue.
I visited this dam as part of my learning about the hydro business. The world of utilities are considerably different than the industrial world I've inhabited for nearly 30 years. As in any industry, there are many things that are "understood" by the people on the inside. Definitely a case of beginner's mind for me! One of the great benefits of this job is visiting some beautiful locations as you can see from the photos.
The first photo is an interior shot showing the 1.5 megawatt generator. Not large by utility standards but every little bit helps in the energy business. The next photo shows the outside of the generator/turbine building. The guy in the photo is my new leader and owner of Casco Systems, Kevin Mahoney. The remaining photos are of the dam and pond.
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