Rivers, dams and the Oceans all offer energy derived from water presures of currents

Micro Hydro

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Written by: J C Burke
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micro hydro1Up to 100kW installed capacity

 There remains a focus on microgeneration and community schemes, and there is still an interest in redeveloping many disused watermill sites and small off-grid hydro projects. Micro hydro development in the UK is still popular, which includes pico, micro and mini.  There remain opportunities for sensitively sited micro hydro installations (up to 100kW installed capacity) that can supply cheap, reliable generation with minimal visual and environmental impact.

Pico hydro is traditionally hydroelectric power generation of under 5 kW. This has proven to be useful in small, remote communities that require only a small amount of electricity.

Even smaller turbines of 200–300 W may power a single home with a drop of only one meter. Pico-hydro setups typically are run-of-stream, meaning that a reservoir of water is not created, only a small weir is common, pipes divert some of the flow, drop this down a gradient, and through the turbine before being put back to the stream.

 

Flowing water has potential energy that can be harvested as it flows downhill.  Micro-Hydro power systems convert the potential energy in small streams and waterways into kinetic energy via a mechanical turbine, which drives a generator to produce electricity. The greater the drop and quantity of water there is flowing through the turbine, the more electricity can be generated.

A steady stream of moving water has significant advantages over solar and wind generation systems.  Micro-Hydro systems can run day and night and in any weather conditions so long as there is a consistent flow of water through the turbine.

Global Small Hydro Power - SHP

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Written by: J C Burke
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Whirl-Pool TechnolgyHydropower is a flexible technology, proven, improved and refined over many years, yet its site-specific features make it highly innovatory in application, which makes use of a wide range of available resource – large or small, storage or run-of-river, and including tidal range, canals and even water treatment works. Over 150 years ago it revolutionised electricity generation in the UK and it is still one of the most inexpensive ways to generate power, playing an important role in our electricity system stability.

This section comprises 18 case studies of successful small hydropower (SHP) implementation in a range of communities and aims to add a more detailed, practical perspective on the trans-formative potential of SHP and the best practices. Case studies give specific examples of communities that use SHP for productive use to meet their needs and improve quality of life. The purpose of this new section is to make the learnings drawn from such experiences easily accessible, forming a knowledge base that can benefit communities, decision-makers and developers elsewhere.

The cases demonstrate how reliable access to electricity provided by SHP revolutionizes the daily lives of communities worldwide, in particular in rural areas, creating employment opportunities, stimulating economic development, strengthening the capacity of existing infrastructure and local institutions, while minimizing negative environmental impacts. The following five aspects of SHP development are covered in the case studies.

Read more: Global Small Hydro Power - SHP

Hydro 100kW - 5MW

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Written by: John Burke
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Small Run of River Hydro 1Small-scale hydro (100kW to 5MW installed capacity)

is highly efficient and where suitable sites are available, it remains one of the cheapest forms of renewable electricity per unit. Small-scale hydro has a key role to play in the development of the world’s renewable energy resources. Clean and reliable – it is a valuable resource just waiting to be utilised.

Small Run of River hydro projects use the natural downward flow of rivers and relatively small turbine generators to capture the kinetic energy carried by water. Typically water is diverted from a river and fed down a pipe on a section where there is a significant drop in elevation. The water is passed through a turbine generator where the potential energy in the water is converted into kinetic energy via the mechanical turbine and re-enters the river at a lower point. Installation of  run of river systems do not usually require a reservoir or dam and are a relatively cheap to build and have minimal environmental impact.

Run of River systems have the advantages of a long operational life time, in excess of 25 years, with minimal maintenance.  Also these systems tend to generate the  most electricity in the colder months when the demand is greater for electrical heating and extra lighting.

 

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