Could the Charles River take Upper Falls off the grid?

by | Aug 9, 2013 | Newton | 5 comments

Not quite, but close, according to back of the envelope numbers. The 26 foot drop at Upper Falls, if fully harnessed, would power about 760 of the 1230 homes in Upper Falls. Cut this in half for efficiency losses and for a fish ladder, and it still powers hundreds of homes. Upper Falls was built on water power. Should Newton consider it?

5 Comments

  1. Hoss
    Hoss on August 9, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Nathan Phillips — Where did you get the estimates on the power potential? As you might know, the Commonwealth seeded the Charles with shad a few years ago. We in Upper Falls do not have any fish ladders and this gorge area has two falls: at the mill as described and at the “horse shoe” just before Rt 9 (actually three if we include the brand new sluiceway dam). If you have further details on the power potential and/or the fish ladders, I’d love to read more.

  2. Jerry Reilly
    Jerry Reilly on August 9, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    “Should newton consider it?”
    Definitely yes …. and they already are!
    A group of us in Upper Falls put together a rough outline for a plan to put a modest hydro plant at Upper Falls using the existing defubct waterway in the old mill complex.

    The city is doing some preliminary research into the feasibility of the plan. I understand that it was recently sent to the city’s Energy Commission to have them take a look at it.

    Our idea was to tie the project into the neighborhoods history and into the schools. Upper Falls owes its existence to the water power of the river at Hemlock Gorge. It would be a great way to bring a bit of that history alive by reintroducing water power at the falls.

    We call the project “The Power of Upper Falls”

  3. Nathan Phillips
    Nathan Phillips on August 9, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    Jerry, great minds think alike :)

    Hoss, here are numbers I used:

    Power (watts) = Energy/Time = Mass flow X height drop x acceleration due to gravity

    = 8,500 kg/sec X 7.9 meters x 9.8 meters/sec^2 = 0.66 MW

    Or, in a 24 hr day, 0.66 MW x 24 = 16 MW-hrs

    Using avg MA household daily electricity consumption = 21 kW-hrs

    So dividing 16 MW-h by 21 kW-h = 760 homes.