Local Knowledge About Micro-Hydro Systems

Small-scale hydro-electric systems capture the energy in flowing water and convert it to electricity. Although the potential for small hydro-electric systems depends on the availability of suitable water flow, where the resource exists it can provide cheap, clean, reliable electricity. If they are well designed, small hydro-electric systems blend with their surroundings and have minimal negative environmental impacts. If your property includes a relatively "bold" stream that provides adequate "flow" and "head" , it may be suitable for a micro-hydro system. Run-of-the-stream micro-hydro systems use the power in the moving water as it passes through the drive mechanism without causing an appreciable change in the river flow. Normally such systems are built on small dams that impound little water. Many times a reservoir and a dam are not even required. However, a combination of natural conditions and regulation considerations must be met in order to make a micro-hydro system practical.