Solar Bees Killing Pond Odors
By Warren Whitlock - 18.12.2008
A refinery in California collects rain water for industrial use. The pond covers over 6 acres and has about 4 feet of sludge on the bottom.
They had problems. The pond stunk. They tried using brush aerators. But there was no power to the pond. So they brought in two diesel generators to power brush aerators which needed to run constantly. The pond smell was partially reduced. The smell of diesel and brush aerator aerosols brought new smells.
Nearby residents and employees were affected by the noxious odors. The refinery was looking at a $150,000 cost to run power to the pond and begin upgrading the system. In December 2004, SolarBee installed two solar powered odor capping machines. One machine is tethered to shore mounted photovoltaic panels. Panels are mounted directly on the other machine. The two machines look like a small boat on the water. Each looks something more like a communication satellite when seen in whole.
The SolarBees circulate the water and eliminate the smell.
The generators and brushes are gone and so is the $150,000 annual cost to operate and maintain them. The SolorBees have had no maintainance issues and work quietly 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
Energy savings alone paid for the two SolarBee units in less than a year.
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