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Hydropower

What Is Hydropower

Water is one of earths most important natural resources and it's power has been harnessed and used since the beginning of mankind.  The energy of fast moving water has been converted into power to meet many different types of energy demands over the centuries.  Water has been dammed and stored creating drinking water, irrigation water and potential energy.

This page will discuss some of the aspects of hydropower and how it works to power cities.  We will also look at how just a small stream could be used to supplement the power going into your home.

Parker Dam

In the U.S. Hydropower produces between seven and twelve percent of our power consumption.  This is about forty percent of the power generated from renewable energy sources.  Hydropower is on the decline, and should continue that way, as other alternative energy sources become more promising.  The biggest drawback to hydropower, on a large scale, is the environmental damage caused by the dams and reservoirs needed to create the power.

Hydropower plays a larger role in overall power production in other countries, where the rivers and population are better suited for it.  In Norway there is no other form of power, of any measurable amounts.  In Brazil, twenty percent of their power is derived from other sources.  Canada is increasing their use of hydropower where it is seen as a valuable form of untapped sustainable energy.

When you are talking about converting water to power there are a couple of terms you need to learn.  The first is "flow".  Flow is the amount of water crossing a certain point during a given amount of time.  "Head" is the second term used, it is the pressure of the water passing over a certain point.  It measures how fast the water is flowing.  In a traditional hydropower setup the current of the river provides the power.  In a dam situation the water is released, creating the current needed to make the power.  Creating home power from a nearby water source is normally done with a traditional type installation.  A small scale hydropower generator simply needs to be inserted into a steady flow of water to create electricity.

Well, maybe it's only that easy in theory.  The amount of power you can expect to produce depends on the size of the generator, the flow of the water and the head pressure.  If you can capture enough water, water that is moving fast enough, you can generate electricity.  You will need to secure your generator into a position where it is stable and able to capture the largest volume of fast water.  It then needs to be wired to your house and into an inverter.

Just like solar electric systems, water power needs to be converted with an inverter.  This turns the raw power generated by the water system into usable household voltages.  When considering if hydropower is going to be worth the investment you need to closely exam the water source, whether it is a river, creek or pond.  Measure the water flow and speed and determine how much of the water flow you can cycle through your generator.

River

Your two biggest hurdles to creating your own DIY hydro system will be mounting the generator and obtaining water rights.  Mounting systems may be hard to come by and will probably have to be fabricated on site to adapt to your particular situation.  Never assume you have the water rights needed to harvest this free, renewable power source.  It's a strange world, and water rights are becoming increasingly important to some, so check it out before investing the money.

Some of the advantages of small scale hydro systems are

• Low Maintenance : Hydro systems are known to have very long life cycles.  Once set up, you can expect many years of trouble and maintenance free performance.


• No Batteries : As long as you remain connected to the grid, or have another backup power supply, there is no need for batteries.  Once you know how much power you are producing, you can pretty will count on that, day and night, even on cloudy days.


• System Size : You can install as large of system as your water flow will allow.  Or you can choose to use only a portion of the water flow, if that's what your budget allows.


•  Cost : More power can be produce per cost than with any other form a alternative energy.  A submersible power generator selling for about twelve hundred dollars is capable of generating 2.4 kWh daily when placed in a nine mile per hour stream.  This equates into a good, solid power investment.

If you have a home on some land with a flowing creek, hopefully we have created some interest on your part to pursue this form of alternative energy.

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