The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1902-02-07

The problem % supplying electrical
light, or power 10 private con
samers Is a far more comph-
Gated and difficult one than thar OF
public lighting. The demand Tor
public lighting "a regular, vary inE
only with the season, and the re-
ouirements can De anticipated with
certainty. The reverse Is true On the
case % private consumers, whose
needs vary and whose demands are
consequently crratic.
Nevertheless the problem has been
solved By the experts. and tts tu-
fiucnce up0n the municipal light
ing proposition can De- stated
with approximate exaCtnusS. The
FIRST element 20 be considered is the
quantity 81 lighting power which
can be obtained from the surplus 81
la00 horse power. which Il was
shown IN Wednesdays Star. would
remain after furnishing the city with
me proposnd sa0 are and s0o0 In
candesceut lights. The output ~ the
proposed plant. & viii be- rcmcm-
bered. Was placed az . 500 horse
power. of which Go only would BE-
required for city lighting.
Lighting Capacity ef SErplHs Power
II Is well known 10 practical elec-
tricians that not all the lights con-
nected ON a large system are ever
burning az one time. COuservatiNely
estimated. not Is per cent. Of the
connected lights viii burn az once.
therefore the 90 horse power sur
plus can safely be said 90 possess
capacity % furnishing ASS Ia horse
power, OF i.so0 kilowatts. one klio-
watt being equivalent 70 one and
oue-ihlrd horse power.
a - A. a. A
for "a hours per day during the en-
tire year. the total use would BE-
1854. 0oo kilowatt hours The aver
age consumption n electrl, lighting
however is not BY any means the
maximum amount for even n quarter
~ each day. a conservative estis
mate Of the average light supplied
~ Is per cent. OF the maximum.
This percentage Of rs ssA. coo kilo-
watt hours gives 9. t9s 600 kilowatt
hours for the average annual out
put ~ the contemplated city plant.
A. the average rate % 4 cents per
k'lowatt hour. which IL about half
the current average charge the In
come theregroni would b. $50 s6t or
practically steo GO per aruuu.
Cost of Disuisatiar sys,sn
II Is estimated hy the city engi-
~
SYSTEM for this supply would BE-
si0Q. 90. Its operation would require
estimated OUTLAWS as follows:
4 per cent Interest .............s 900
per cent. depreciation ........ 5000
1870 horse power at fts....... "a z0
linemen, ! meter man. ! gem
erai repair man. / Inspector
ana l collector. ...-...-.@..-.. 1000
hepatrs .--....... ...-....-..-. $500
Per annum ................Sf SIS 600
Deducting this from the estimated
receipts leaves a net profit Of prae-
tically 5000 per annum.
Free Public Lighting
In Wednesdays Star II was shown
that a reasonable estimate OF the
cost OF arc lights would be $40 each.
and Of candescents s. each. fur
nished by the proposed municipal
lighting plant. This would b. a
total yearly cost Of SIS 900 for public
lighting.
Now consider the following sum-
mary:
Profit from private lighting
annually ..-s..s ......-....... ~ roo
Expense Of street lighting
annually ........ ............. q. 600
Net prpnt .............-.....fff co
Which means that besides furnish
Ing twice the number ~ its present
street lights free to itself the etty
will have a net profit Of $4,000 per
annum. after selling light 10 its
customers At an average rate fully
50 per cent. below the present meter
rates Of the Seattle Electric Com
pany.
What Consumers Pay Vow
The average net charge for resi-
dence lighting IN said 90 be about
l32 cents per kilOwatt hour. This
fH due 20 short time consumption.
hotel which has some lights running
All night. pays a much lower rate.
and an establishment whose lamus
burn for "a hours, pays little more
than the minimum rate ~ 4 cents per
kilowatt hour. The bill Of a restau-
rant which burns light almost con
stanfly was exhibited 20 the Star
when calls for exactly 9 cents per
kilowatt hour.
The form Of contract for the cleo
trio lighting service u the Seattle
Electric Company provides that the
applicant shall pay monthly "at the
rate OF 70 cents per kilowatt hour
Tor the FIRST 20 hours per month uaa
OF the maximum number 81 lamps
connected during November, Deccrn-
Der or January; cents per kilowatt
hour for the next no hours per
month use of the above maximum
and I cents per kllowatt hour for
al excess consumption. All connect
ed lights pay a minimum rate Of 81
per month. whether the meter shows
consumption up 10 that amount or
not.
The reason for this minimum
charge and for the graduated rate e.
that. the supplying agent must hold
itself In rcadinaHB 20 meet tine max
imum demand The lamps which
burn the fun q hours pay only 4
cents. and lights burning 70 hours
out ~ the a. not more than
cents per kilowatt hour Tor
the whole time. Residences are said
20 pay an average u about 1874 cents
per kilowatt hour The general av-
erage for all classes of consunera
g. computed to be- about s cents per
kilOwatt hour.
From this Il VIII be seen that the
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