Domestic hydropower is increasingly common, as small or micro hydroelectricity systems are being used to power homes. But how does it work?
Last updated: 21 October 2020
Hydropower is the use of running water to generate power. This can be anything from a large dam or reservoir, to a river or stream, as long as there is running water you can generate power. The water running through a hydropower system turns a turbine which is attached to a generator which then produces energy. The amount of energy being produced will depend on the strength of the water running through it and the efficiency of the system itself.
Home hydropower is simply the use of hydropower for the home. Depending on where the hydropower is coming from it could be used to power a small business, or even a whole community.
There are three main types of hydropower systems:
Whether you are able to get hydropower for your home depends entirely upon where it is located. Even if your home is located near to running water is may still be unlikely that you’ll have hydropower access. If you live in a built-up, urban area for example, it is unlikely that you will be eligible for hydropower.
If you think you may be eligible and have running water near to or running through your property, then you should contact a certified hydropower installer to look at your site. Whether hydropower is suitable or not will depend on your location, your access to the water source, the flow of the river (how much water flows through the river per second), and the head of the river (how steeply the river flows). You must also consider the year-long flow of the water. For example, if the river on your property dries up over summer then it won’t produce any energy and you will need a back-up power source.
Microhydropower systems can generate up to 100-kW of electricity, but even a 10-kW system should be able to power a large home.
If you have a good hydro resource near your community then community energy projects can often be a great way of powering the whole community. Rather than supplying one home, you could supply a whole village at a cheaper rate thanks to economies of scale.
The cost of installing a hydropower system will depend entirely upon the location, size and type of system. However, the cost will likely be significant, as a small 5-kW system to power one household usually costs around £25,000 to install. Once installed, the system will cost very little in upkeep and maintenance and has a lifetime of around 50 years. You will also not have to think about your electricity bill for that entire time!
As mentioned before, community energy projects can make these installation costs easier to bare and, after installation, help provide free, green energy to the entire community.
Benefits of home hydropower:
Negatives of home hydropower:
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