Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-22
Chief Engineer Danforth
On Heating by Electricity

Chief Engineer George c. Danforth
of the Maine Water Power Commits
sion, being asked as to the probable
development Of heating, ETC., by cleo
| tricity resulting from the development
of our Maine water powers, said:
There seems to be a widespread
opinion throughout the State that
when our water powers are fully de-
veloped. heating houses by electricity
will be not only possible. but economi-
cal. 1t is desirable that this opinion
be corrected. Assuming for the mo-
ment that the amount of power re-
quired could be made available for
this purpose. electricity would have
to be furnished at far lower cost
than seems possible for the work to
be.in any way comparable with even
the present high price of coal. An
thracite coal is usually taken at
about $4,000 British thermal units per
pound. If we assume that the aver
age house heating apparatus is so
per cent. efficient, one pound of coal
would produce 1900 effective heat
units. Assume also that one kilo-
watt hour of electricity contains 3i11
e. T. L. and can be used at 100 per
cent. efficiency. One pound of coal
would therefore equal for heating
purposes 22S kiiowatt-hours of cleo
tricity. With electricity at cent per
kilowatt- hour the comparative cost
of coal would be $3.50 per ton. ETec-
/ tricity today costs about 8 cents per
kilowatt- hour
That these figures are conserva-
tive may be seen by comparison with
data in the recently issued 7th edi-
ton of Carpenters Heating and Ven
tilating. Carpenter assumes ! pound
OF coal as representing $4,000 to $4,000
b. T. u: one kilowatt- hour of cleo
/ tricity S415 B. T. T. and 10000 B. r.
L. as the amount of heat which can
: be realized from the coal With
! electricity at 1 cent per kilowatt hour
his comparative cost of coal is 293
cents per pound or $500 per net ton.
"a further consideration in consid-
ering the use Of electricity for heat
ing purposes would be the large cleo
: tric equipment required with the re-
sulting high overhead costs Unless
industries should develop calling for
warm months. this equipment would
lie idle during large part of the
year.
"There should also be considered
the amount of power required for
heating the 100000 odd houses in
Maine. Assume that these homes
use 10 tons of coal each during the
seven winter months Ohe actual fig
ure is probably larger than this) one
house would use 45.6o0 kilowatt-
hours in seven months, an average de-
mand of kilowatts. For 100, 900
houses this would total about 1.50o.-
900 kilowatts or 100000 Fl. p. Due
| to lack of maps and information for
use in forming an estimate no aecur-
ate figure on the total power is avail
| able. 1t is not, however. believed
that the total developed and unde-
yeloped power of the State will ex-
coed 100000 H. p. If all indus
trial needs were neglected this would
be insufficient as general sourse of
, heat
1T may be pertinent to mention the
fact that although as source of gen.
eral heating electricity cannot be
considered at the present times, Il
has definite value under certain
conditions. AS an auxiliary to other
systems for certain rooms which
need more heat than is supplied by
, the primary heating installation, un-
der normal conditions the electric
| radiator may he economically used.
During the chilly periods Of spring
and fall twill be far more con-
venient and probably fully as
economical to use electric radiators.
provided the need is for an hour or
two in the morning or evening
Attention may be called to the
fact that luminous radiators which |
throw Off radiant heat warm only Oh |
jects that are Opaque to the rays.
without heating the air through which |
the rays pass. Radiators should
preferably be arranged to warm air
passing over the heated surfaces.
For use in cooking II will be found
that electricity. although of consid-
cradle greater first cost. is often more