by Chuck Hall
One of the more popular forms of power generation is hydroelectric. Hydroelectric plants generate clean energy by damming up a river or other water source, then using the stored energy of this water to turn a turbine. This turbine rotates a generator that produces electricity. The Hoover Dam does this on a grand scale, but the principle is just as sound for smaller, home-sized hydroelectric stations.
You don’t hear much about these home-sized stations, known as micro hydros (a micro hydro is any hydroelectric station that generates less than 100 kW), because not many home sites meet the requirements for installation of such a system. You need a ready source of flowing water that flows consistently at around 18-20 gallons per minute (gpm) for the entire year. This 18-20 gpm figure isn’t etched in stone. It is affected by many variables, including as the ‘head’ of the stream, your power consumption, and the distance of the stream from your home. The stream’s ‘head’ refers to the difference in height from the water source’s highest point to the location of your turbine and generator. This determines how fast the turbine will spin, and consequently, how much electricity will be produced.
Your power consumption requirements will dictate the size of the generator you will need to incorporate into your micro-hydro station. You may want to plan for future growth should your power demands increase over time. It is far easier to install a system ahead of time with more power than you need than it would be to modify a system once it is installed. Also, the further the micro-hydro station is from the home, the more power will be required to transmit it over the power lines.
Most of these variables are beyond the layman’s ability to calculate effectively, so if you have a readily available water source on you home site that might work for a micro hydro; you may want to consult with an electrical engineer. It may be difficult to find an engineer with micro hydro experience, so before taking that step, you may want to do a little reading on the subject. I would recommend The Micro Hydro Design Manual: A Guide to Small-Scale Water Power Schemes by Adam Harvey and Andy Brown. It’s a bit pricey at $69.95, but it contains a wealth of information on micro hydro installation. If you’d like some more basic information before buying this hefty manual, you can download a free pdf on the basics of micro hydro from Home Power: The Hands-on Journal of Homemade Power at: http://www.homepower.com/files/beginner/MicrohydroBasics.pdf.
While costs will vary widely depending on the variables associated with your own home site, such a system could provide all of your energy needs for as little as $5000…a small price to pay for energy independence, especially when you divide it out over the life of the system! With a little routine maintenance, a micro hydro station will last for decades.
If you’ve done your research, consulted with the experts, and have discovered that you have a site that would be suitable for a micro hydro station, congratulations! You are on your way to providing energy for your home that is clean, safe, non-toxic, and free, once the system has paid for itself.
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