Comments on: Micro Hydro Power – Pros and Cons

By: Frank

Frank — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:19:55 +0000

This site may help to all. https://www.powerspout.com/

By: M.Daulat Hussain

M.Daulat Hussain — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:44:47 +0000

Small power generation is very important and essential for irrigation to forest and hilly areas where electricity supply is not available and the small power generation system will be sustainable to that places.

By: Bolden

Bolden — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:48:48 +0000

Ok so, I’m seriously thinking of doing this. I’ve heard a lot of mumbo jumbo and I’m new so I sort of take everything with a grain of salt. Is it really that much more cost effective to go microhydro for a small single dwelling home, wood heat, (although electric heat would be nice too), not worried about a/c. and at this point single male so that helps right? what is an approximate yearly cost? thanks for your knowledge and help!

By: Hugh Simpson

Hugh Simpson — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:57:23 +0000

Just found this site and I wanted to know if there are people here that have had experience of using a fast running river instead of just a stream. We have numerous high waterfalls and a river that is one of the best kayak rivers in the SE USA.

I manufacture dodecahedron dome homes and will be relocating my company to Tellico Plains, TN where the Tellico River is. We are coming up with a Village in a Box concept that includes my friend’s Aquaponics System called Farm in a Box.

By: JessW

JessW — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:59:08 +0000

By keeping the in stream flow changes to an appropriate minimum you can get the best in efficient renewable power production.

By: Azmat A Shah

Azmat A Shah — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:55:49 +0000

There is power shortage in third world countries all over the globe. As a result load shedding is necessitated to overcome this shortfall. In order to meet energy demand in our homes, think of producing 5kw electricity with water turbine, availing facility like solar energy to pump water to overhead tank to create head for power generation. This can solve our power problem especially in Pakistan. The point is to convince turbine manufacturers to keep the prices to our capacity.

By: patrick andrews

patrick andrews — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:14:14 +0000

So with all this micro hydro… could it be put into an area w/ clean treated wastewater running through it? Looking into alternative energy for my wastewater plant in upper New York so any input would be appreciated.

By: Boneheaded1

Boneheaded1 — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:34:55 +0000

PowerToSA

If you build a water tower then build a human powered conveyor to move the water up to the tower’s tank then yes you could generate electricity releasing the water from the tower back to the swamp.

But, you would spend all day filling the tower and your life savings building the water tower and the conveyor.

Probably better to forget about hydro-power in your case.

By: Charles Cooper

Charles Cooper — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:24:05 +0000

#17

Umm, no.

The point is you need moving water to ’spin the wheel’ to make electricity.

By: PowerToSA

PowerToSA — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:33:30 +0000

Hi I live near the marsh and the is water there all year long but the water is not going anywhere it is not flowing its just static is there a way that I can use the pelton turbine to generate water from that or is there a way that I can cause the water to flow through some artificial means. Is there any one that has done this before, constructing a micro hydro system in the marsh, is it even possible?

By: Kevin Rossiter

Kevin Rossiter — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:26:29 +0000

General rule of thumb for hydropower [head (ft)*flow (g/m)]/10. 90 psi is 200+ feet of head * 40 g/m = 8000/10= 800 watts of hydropower. 300 watts will run a normal house of 4 except for heat and A/C. Pipes should be buried to avoid freezing and potential damage from animals, etc. We sell machines all over the world.

By: Stasulos

Stasulos — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 22:23:50 +0000

Harvey! wow! 3megawatt-hours per month! This is huge! This is industrial level consumption. Are you running a factory there or something? If I were you I would start by seriously thinking about cutting the consumption, not changing the provider. The truth is that the grid is cheaper in 90% of the cases. Secondly, I would try to move consumption into night tariffs zone wherever possible. And only after the first two are exhausted I would try to generate myself.

By: KELECHI

KELECHI — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:26:25 +0000

Micro-hydro power is sustainable,with on-going extensive research and development, I can assure that in a few years power companies will have to drop their tariffs. However I foresee multiple, unregulated sighting of turbines, such that it becomes a threat to ecology.

By: harvey knoll

harvey knoll — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:46:24 +0000

I have a stream that is capable of runing a 10″ sq fiberglass tube of water year round (eve tho it is runing 15′ wide and 2′ deep now.) with a 21ft drop in 300′. My highest electric bill last year was 2910kwh for a 30 day period. #1 is it possible for me to get off the grid? #2 What would you sugest? Thank you Harvey

By: Pat & Mel

Pat & Mel — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 23:36:34 +0000

We have a small stream that flows through our property with a couple of small drops. A pond that is fed by run off, that flows through the middle of the property and runs down an embankment. And a potion of the property is wet most of the year again running down an embankment to the brook. Does any of this sound like it could be used to sustain a micro-hydro setup.

This property is also at a high point on a mountain which might also sustain some wind energy.

Any viable input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Pat & Mel

By: Backwoods Monkey

Backwoods Monkey — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:20:07 +0000

Greetings
I have a creek that runs through my property it flows well year round kind of a small river but it is very flat running water almost no head but from october to may the river is raging whitewater rafters and all. I was hoping someone that might know about this type of waterway generating I don’t need much power just enough to power a very small cabin.
Thanks for any input.
Backwoods

By: sai

sai — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:10:10 +0000

I want to know the average cost of the total project and the average amount of energy the micro hydro turbines can produce. Is a drop necessary? Can a pump do the work? In places where there is no natural possibility of water drop.

By: Louise T

Louise T — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:00:17 +0000

I have an old earthen dam (stream to pond to dam to stream)in upstate New York. Interested in micro-hydro. Probably requires some work on dam, which is leaking a bit from entry of spillway. Any engineers out there like this fellow in the You Tube #7 who would be interested in seeing site and advising about a) permitting b) cost and c) power generation possible?

By: HAMBISA BULCHA

HAMBISA BULCHA — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:07:18 +0000

I really appriciate you, please continue to feed us with information!

By: Nebreklaw01

Nebreklaw01 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:55:02 +0000

I keep seeing the factoid that “…micro hydro power is able to run on only two GPM”, but I can’t find a builder that will build me a turbine setup for 40 GPM and 90 psi. Is it my B.O.?