Purpose
The problem being considered in this assignment concerns the building of a new medical marijuana greenhouse facility in Langley, BC. This facility will use considerable amounts of electrical energy; this will require a feeder line to be built from an existing high voltage transmission station to the plant. Naturally, the new plant’s executives want the construction costs associated with building the new transmission line to be as inexpensive as possible. My task was to determine the least-cost route for the new feeder line.
Map: Transmission Line Path Options
Explanation of the Two Paths
The Euclidean path is a straight line from the transmission plant to the facility. This path is straightforward, it is simply a path from one point to the other, without any consideration for the surroundings, like environmental impacts, cost of construction, etc. The Cost path considers the cost of constructing the new powerline in the different land types in the area surrounding the two points, and determines the path that is the least expensive. These land costs range from an open area, which is the base cost, of one to a residential area of
150, and these values are used to determine the path.
As you can see, the Cost path is primarily in open areas and resource and industrial areas and avoids residential areas. Because the Cost path is strategic about its placement, the path is somewhat longer and more convoluted than the Euclidean path. The Euclidean path may seem better because it is shorter and simpler, however, ultimately it may not even be allowed to be built or at the very least will be expensive to construct and will require more negotiation of land use because it goes through residential areas and crosses waterbodies. The Cost path, though it seems more complicated, will likely be easier to construct and will require less negotiation.