# I Got Such A Cool New Job!!



## elder999 (Dec 24, 2012)

So, I've been pretty busy. 

When I started at the nuke plant-about a thousand years ago, it seems-well, it was very exciting for me, and I got to learn a lot, but I got bitten by a bug that I've never really satisified. All of my bosses had worked there since it first went on line, or even during construction, and I grew to envy that experience. If there was an opportunity , though, there was always something that got in the way, like Palo Verde, in Arizona, which started staffing early in my career, and I wasn't experienced enough. Or the plant would be somewhere I didn't want to go, like Syracuse, NY-or Saudi Arabia.

Or South Africa-they wined and dined a couple of us prettty well before we turned them down.

Later, I got into other work, and I did start up a couple of facilities, but it wasn't quite the same as power plant work, which I've always loved and missed. For the last three years, I've worked for *P*ublic Service Company of *N*ew *M*exico, mostly at the San Juan Power Plant-and, while it's had some challenges, I've been very grateful to be able to return to the industry pretty much at something like the level I like to think I'd have been at had I stayed at the nuke back in New York.

Of course, alternatives had always fascinated me as well-I can remember describing some of the projects I'd have liked to have been involved with to my first wife, way back when she was my girlfriend. Many of those projects never realyl came to be, and some are still in proof-of principle stage.......

...and some are making money!

So, Jan 14, I start working as the operations manager at the Genesis Solar Energy Project, It promises to be a challenging and fulfilling next step towards retirement, and one I'm really looking forward to. Best of all, it's under construction, so I get to turn the key, and strike another one from my bucket list..........wish me luck!


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## arnisador (Dec 24, 2012)

Too cool! Good for you!


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## Sukerkin (Dec 24, 2012)

Most awesome, my friend :yay:.  I am very pleased for you and a little bit envious too (tho' not of the headaches that'll come along with the job ).  If you ever need a half way decent SCADA engineer ... :angel:.


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## jks9199 (Dec 24, 2012)

Great news!  Heck of a Christmas present there...


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## Makalakumu (Dec 24, 2012)

That's amazing!  Your accomplishments are inspiring!


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## Carol (Dec 24, 2012)

That is awesome!  Hope the new year will be an exciting and prosperous one, and I look forward to hearing more about your journey  :asian:


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## ballen0351 (Dec 24, 2012)

Congrats.  Is that picture of your new job those panels are massive I want to fill it with soapy water and slide


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## elder999 (Dec 24, 2012)

ballen0351 said:


> Congrats. Is that picture of your new job those panels are massive I want to fill it with soapy water and slide



There are *1800 acres* of those mirrors-at least, there will be when the project is complete.


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## ballen0351 (Dec 24, 2012)

elder999 said:


> There are *1800 acres* of those mirrors-at least, there will be when the project is complete.


That's a lot of slides lol.

How much power will that make?


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## elder999 (Dec 24, 2012)

ballen0351 said:


> That's a lot of slides lol.
> 
> How much power will that make?



250mw.Enough for about 90,000 homes....


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## Dirty Dog (Dec 24, 2012)

But will it let the be enough for the flux capacitor???


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## jks9199 (Dec 24, 2012)

elder999 said:


> There are *1800 acres* of those mirrors-at least, there will be when the project is complete.



So, I take it you can cook a hotdog on them?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## seasoned (Dec 24, 2012)

elder999 said:


> So,  If there was an opportunity , though, there was always something that got in the way, like Palo Verde, in Arizona, which started staffing early in my career, and I wasn't experienced enough. Or the plant would be somewhere I didn't want to go, like *Syracuse, NY*-or Saudi Arabia.



Ok wait a minute, whats wrong with Syracuse, NY. There's always a lot of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  



> So, Jan 14, I start working as the operations manager at the Genesis Solar Energy Project, It promises to be a *challenging and fulfilling next step towards retirement,* and one I'm really looking forward to. Best of all, it's under construction, so I get to turn the key, and strike another one from my bucket list..........wish me luck!
> 
> View attachment 17496



Good for you, I'm happy things are working out for you.


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## Brian King (Dec 25, 2012)

Congratulations and good luck. 
Warmest Regards
Brian King


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## pgsmith (Dec 30, 2012)

That's very cool Aaron, I'm jealous! 
  The basic idea just doesn't seem like it would be efficient enough to use at that large of a scale, but I'm obviously in error since it is already in use.


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## elder999 (Sep 18, 2013)

So these are of one of our massive air-cooled condensers, looking at the HP end of the turbine. Most turbine condensers are cooled with water, but the desert here is so short on water that we went with these monsters: 12 stories high, 20 fans, just over an acre footprint.
View attachment $DSCN1388.jpg

View attachment $DSCN1423.jpg

And here's a view from that air-cooled condenser, down on the plant.
View attachment $DSCN1390.jpg

These are from back in January.....hang on, I've got more....

View attachment $DSCN1416.jpg
View attachment $DSCN1419.jpg
View attachment $DSCN1423.jpg


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## ballen0351 (Sep 18, 2013)

Holy crap that is big. That would be cool to see.


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## arnisador (Sep 18, 2013)

Neat! Massive!


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## elder999 (Sep 18, 2013)

Some aerial shots from just a coupla weeks ago:


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## oftheherd1 (Sep 19, 2013)

Congratulations!  Always happy to see people progress in their field, especially when they like so much what they are doing.

That is a huge facility.  Must take a lot of maintenance after it is up and running?


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## elder999 (Sep 19, 2013)

Here's the new turbine for the second unit (whic is U#1....long, funny story), with.....er.....some galoot standing in front of it the day it was delivered....

View attachment $jeff.jpg


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## arnisador (Sep 19, 2013)

Looks like that galoot is from Hawaii, judging by his shirt...


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## Carol (Sep 19, 2013)

I wanna see more pix of the galoot.


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## elder999 (Sep 19, 2013)

Carol said:


> I wanna see more pix of the galoot.



I guess that could be arranged......
View attachment $me.jpg


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## granfire (Sep 19, 2013)

:lfao:

for a moment I thought they put your name on the water tower!

:roflmao:


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## Rich Parsons (Sep 19, 2013)

Do you need an embedded controls system engineer?  
Looking good! Plant and yourself.


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## elder999 (Sep 19, 2013)

A few more this one is up on the air-cooled condeser catwalk:

View attachment $atopacc.jpg

This is the turbine I was standing in front of, being uncrated.
View attachment $U1turb.jpg

This is one of the steam generators, after it was insulated.
View attachment $train1.jpg


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## Sukerkin (Sep 19, 2013)

Rich Parsons said:


> Do you need an embedded controls system engineer?
> Looking good! Plant and yourself.



:chuckles:  With both me and Rich offering up our services, looks like Jeff has the makings of a team right here on MT .  If we can persuade Carol in with her comms skills then we're set! .


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## Makalakumu (Sep 19, 2013)

elder999 said:


> Some aerial shots from just a coupla weeks ago:
> View attachment 18291
> View attachment 18292
> View attachment 18293
> ...



That thing is huge! Who is paying for it?


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## elder999 (Sep 19, 2013)

Makalakumu said:


> That thing is huge! Who is paying for it?



The company is, basically, but you should google the financing-I won't discuss it.


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## DennisBreene (Sep 19, 2013)

Isn't it awesome that you can get paid to do something you love!


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## Brian R. VanCise (Sep 19, 2013)

Fantastic photos Jeff!


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## elder999 (Sep 19, 2013)

THese are from the steam blows we did last week;we deployed the solar field to collect heat and make steam, and used that steam to clean off the piping and internals:
View attachment $Steam 4.jpg
View attachment $Steam blows17.jpg
View attachment $Steam blows34.jpg

And this is the way it looked today, just as I was leaving to head back to the office, after putting the turbine on turning gear (YAY!artyon: )
View attachment $Genesistoday.pg.jpg


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## Takai (Sep 19, 2013)

Awesome.


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## jks9199 (Sep 19, 2013)

granfire said:


> :lfao:
> 
> for a moment I thought they put your name on the water tower!
> 
> :roflmao:



He's got a big head -- but not THAT big!  LOL


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## elder999 (Sep 19, 2013)

Of course, it hasn't all been fun. Kaliforniastan-especially this part of it-is _interesting_. Back in July, I was leaving work around five p.m. when I noticed:


:xtrmshock

Okay, I like the heat-that was fun!

The day we got vehicles delivered, I got a very "_Peeple's Republik of Kaliforniastan_" feeling-something I posted about elsewhere-20 trucks with warning stickers:

View attachment $PRK.jpg
:lfao:


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## Takai (Sep 19, 2013)

The Independent State of Calislovakia is...interesting. I hate just visiting...Don't think that I could survive living in it.


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