Power from Water.

A Micro-Hydro system is a wonderful way to create electricity.  Unfortunately, not everyone has this resource to tap into.  If you are one of the lucky ones who has flowing water on your property, then by all means use it.  With Micro-Hydro power, you don’t have to worry about cloudy days or whether the wind is blowing… it just keeps on producing electricity 24/7.

There are some factors you need to consider before you spend any money on Micro-Hydro equipment. Not all moving water is a candidate for this type of energy production.  Before you decide to call a dealer of Micro-Hydro, you need to take some measurements. Head and flow are the two most important factors for determining whether your site is suitable for a Micro-Hydro system.

Head is water pressure that is created by the drop in elevation. Some systems have a short pipe run due to a steep drop-off in elevation.  In others, the water has to travel a long distance to achieve a slight drop in elevation.  This vertical drop creates pressure at the bottom of the pipeline. Remember, the greater the drop in elevation the greater the pressure.

Flow is just what it sounds like: how much water can you move through your pipe. This is measured by Gallons per Minute (gpm).

Our friends at Home Power Magazine have a great article on measuring Head and Flow.

The basic components of a Micro-Hydro system are as follows:
Moving water – duh!
Intake box
A pipeline
A decline in elevation
A turbine
Charge controller
Batteries
A dump load
Meter
DC Disconnect



Moving Water:
This is a tricky one. Some creeks flow evenly throughout the year; others go from flood to trickle. Some creeks have a great flow rate, yet have very little head.

Intake Box:
This is a very important component right from the start.  Not only does the intake box help divert water, it also keeps debris from entering you system. A proper intake screen will prevent the necessity for cleaning fish out of your nozzles.

Pipe:
The most common pipe is PVC.  The length will be determined by the distance to your turbine.  The pipe diameter, which can be from one inch to a foot, is determined by the flow design  When using PVC in a colder climate you may want to bury the pipe to keep it from stiffening and/or cracking.

Turbine:
Today there are many manufacturers of small Micro-Hydro turbines.  The turbine most used by Off-the-Griders is the Harris Hydro system. This is a great turbine.  You can find their contact info in our directory section.


Charge controller:
The main purpose for a charge controller is to prevent the batteries from over-charging. The charge controller takes the energy coming in from the turbine and sends what is needed to the batteries to keep them topped off. But what if you can’t use all the power that your system produces?   In that case you need a Dump Load.

Dump Load:
A Dump load takes the excess energy produced that is no longer needed to keep the batteries charged, and diverts it to a waste load.  Most of the time, you will find dump loads consisting of water heater elements or air heaters.  I have seen people use a large bank of 250 watt incandescent light bulbs. Whatever you use, a dump load is a very important component to your system

Batteries:
Deep cycle batteries are best to use for any renewable energy system.  The amount of batteries you use in your Micro-Hydro system will depend on your needs.  View our battery section to see how to calculate your needs.

Inverter:
One tip for use of a Micro-Hydro system is to keep the inverter as close to the turbine as possible.  A Micro-Hydro system produces DC (Direct Current) and requires larger diameter wire for long runs. Your inverter converts DC energy to AC (what your household uses). AC travels greater distances with small wire, and this saves a lot of money.

DC Disconnect:
This is the circuit breaker for your Hydro system. You need to have this to break the current between your batteries and your inverter.

Visit our Micro-Hydro Directory for dealers and equipment >click here