microhydroelectric power

May 24, 2017 7 Replies
M

Have any of you heard of microhydroelectric power? Do you know anyone using it? Do you knwo anything about it?



I think it's this guy who has a hydroelectric generating station no bigger than a big microwave oven in a little stream by his house.

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His stream only runs some of the time, but mine runs 27/7/365. It's only about 60 feet from the house. Burying the cable would be difficult because there are an awful lot of rocks. I can barely plant a flower. OTOH the cable guy had no trouble wiggling the cable an inch or two into the ground. I just have to do the same thing 4 to



8 times.
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N

I watched a documentary about how ppl in the Nordic countries (or was it Iceland?) now have the ability to start their own hydroelectric plants on any running water on their land. Since there are so many small streams/creeks cascading on their land, it's encouraged by the govt and the landowners are making some extra pocket change. I forget the name of the documentary. Sorry. ;)

nb

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T

ydro-electric-evolution

Did you read this:

"My personal off-grid system includes two Harris hydro turbines. One is pro ducing about 200 W at 24 VDC from 35 feet of head. The other is currently p utting out about 1,000 W at 70 VDC from 110 feet of head into an OutBack Po wer Systems FLEXmax 80 MPPT charge controller."

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Z

you could always try alt.energy.homepower

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D

The government might have a problem with you doing anything to the stream. It depends on the stream being navigable. Here's a start:

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Add the Clean Water Act: I don't know how the Clean Water Act's issues turned out. It sounded as if they were pushing to regulate basic low spots in fields. Could they have jurisdiction over a field if it has a spot that floods once every few years? That sort of thing was the problem.

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M

I didn't know about that one. Sounds perfect. Thanks.

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M

Well the ducks think it's navigable but they don't come very often.

Definitely.

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M

After I posted. Another of my dreams crushed.

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