Can a normal person use hydropower without is costing too much?Explain?

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1. mahua September 3, 2010 at 4:24 pm

   

   Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy and was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for purposes such as grinding grain. Because the source of hydropower is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source. On a small scale, one can channel a portion of a river or stream through a small canal that contains a turbine, or one may pump water to a holding area from where it can be released to generate electricity. To have a viable hydropower resource, a site must have both a large volume of water (in vicinity) and a significant change in elevation. For good amounts of electricity to be generated, large volumes of water must drop from one elevation to a lower one. Therefore, mountainous regions with rushing rivers offer the best potential for hydropower projects.

   However there are alternative systems like mini hydro and micro hydro home-scale systems, which produce up to 1 megawatt and 100 kilowatts, respectively. An average micro-hydro turbine can produce anywhere from 1 kWh (1,000 watt-hours) to 30 kWh per day. Compare that to the average American home usage of 10 – 15kWh of energy per day, and you will find that a normal person can make and use hydropower himself!

   Standard micro-hydro systems are made of the following key components:
   1. Penstock, the pipeline carrying water from source to turbine.
   2. Turbine, which transforms the energy of the flowing water into rotational energy.
   3. Alternator or generator, which transforms the energy of motion into electricity.
   4. Regulator, which either controls the electricity produced by the generator, or reroutes excess energy.
   5. Wiring delivering the electricity to either the power grid, home, or storage batteries.
   6. Batteries (optional) to store the electricity.
   7. Inverter (on DC-producing systems) to convert the electricity to the standard AC current used in the home.
   A key component of the system’s functionality is the height and pressure of falling water, known as “head.” The higher the head, the less water needed to produce power, and the smaller, cheaper, and more efficient equipment can be used in your system. A “high head” site typically has a height of over 10 feet. Run-of-the-river plants can be designed using large flow rates with low head or small flow rates with high head. Drop-in-the-creek generators are options for sites with low head (1 – 2 feet) and high volume.
   Micro-hydro is a more environmentally-benign, and can be more reliable than traditional sources of power. Systems that hook into a home or business can provide a back-up source of power during outages. Micro-hydro production also cumulates nicely over time, as power is generated 24 hours a day, under any weather conditions. Homestead systems can produce enough power to run several refrigerators and space heaters.

   And now for the costs. On the right site, a hydropower system can cost as little as one-tenth the cost of a photovoltaic (solar power) system producing the same amount. You will need a site surveyor, and legal permissions depending on where you propose to build yourself a mini hydro-project.

   And i found the details here- fascinating read- more information-
   http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageID=54

2. Carly C September 3, 2010 at 5:21 pm

   

   That was a terriffic explanation. A directory of hydropower websites and article I like is at http://www.allsitessorted.com/Renewable_Energy/HydroPower . The key of course is a source of sufficiently flowing water on your property. There is some capital expenditure in the thousands of dollars even for micro.