Cleanergy

Our commitment to balancing the nation’s thermal and renewable energy capacity is made possible by our Cleanergy assets in run-of-river, large hydro, solar, and geothermal power.

How exactly does Cleanergy work? Renewable energy heavily relies on fuel sources that can be replenished over a short period of time and do not diminish. These vary from resources such as moving water, wind, the sun (solar), and Earth's heat (geothermal), to name a few.

Here’s how we transform renewable energy resources into Cleanergy:

Run-of-river Hydropower

A run-of-river hydroelectric system is a design scheme for power generation that is least disruptive to the environment. It harvests energy from flowing water through a canal or penstock in the absence of a large dam and reservoir.

Here’s how run-of-river hydropower works:

1. A portion of the water from the upper reaches of a river is diverted into a pipeline through an intake weir.
2. This pipeline brings water to a forebay tank where the water flow is slowed down, allowing sand and other particles to settle. From the forebay, clear water passes through a pressure pipe or penstock to the turbine.
3. The natural force of gravity generates energy used to spin the turbine which is enclosed in a powerhouse together with the generator and control equipment. The spinning turbine enables the generator to produce electricity.
4. Power lines connected to the powerhouse distribute energy to distribution utilities and then to your homes and businesses.
5. From the turbine, the water is discharged down a tailrace or canal back into the river.

Large Hydropower

Large hydroelectric power plants use the kinetic energy of water in reservoirs and allow the flow to drive hydraulic turbines. These facilities can generate a capacity of more than 30 MW.

Here’s how large hydropower works:

1. Water in the reservoir enters a hydroelectric power plant through an intake.
2. The water flows through a penstock which channels the water to the turbine.
3. The natural force of gravity generates energy used to spin the turbine which is enclosed in a powerhouse together with the generator and control equipment. The spinning turbine enables the generator to produce electricity.
4. Power lines connected to the powerhouse distribute energy to power distribution utilities and then to your homes and businesses.
5. From the turbine, the water is discharged down a tailrace or canal back into the river.

Geothermal Power

Geothermal plants generate electricity from steam power recovered from within the Earth’s core. This thermal energy comes from the heat generated in rock and fluids during the original formation of the planet which also includes the radioactive decay of materials.

Here’s how geothermal power works:

1. Steam from the hot fluid recovered from the reservoir below the Earth’s surface is pumped to the surface through a series of wells.
2. The pumped steam generates energy used to spin the turbine which is enclosed in a powerhouse together with the generator and control equipment. The spinning turbine enables the generator to produce electricity.
3. Power lines connected to the powerhouse distribute energy to power distribution utilities and then to your homes and businesses.
4. Cooled steam is released through a cooling tower while hot water is returned to the reservoir using an injection well, helping in regenerating the steam source.

Solar Power

Solar power is energy collected from the sun which is converted into electricity. Various solar technologies enable natural sunlight to be harnessed and used for domestic, commercial, or industrial purposes.

Here’s how solar power works:

1. Sunlight falls on solar panels during daylight hours.
2. The solar panels convert the sun’s energy into Direct Current (DC) electricity and are sent into an inverter.
3. The inverter converts the DC electricity into Alternating Current (AC) electricity which is more suitable to energize homes and businesses.
4. Power lines connected to the solar power plants distribute energy to power distribution utilities and then to your homes and businesses.