Microhydro

Scott Davis is an award-winning renewable energy project developer with decades of experience operating, installing, designing, selling and teaching about microhydro technology. He is the founder and president of Yalakom Appropriate Technology, and the author of Microhydro: Clean Air From Water. Scott lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

• Dedication Acknowledgments Introduction 1 What is Microhydro? Introducing Electricity and Hydraulics About DC About AC Moving Power Electricity and Water Calculating Electrical Characteristics Hydroelectricity Focus on Microhydro Good News, Bad News 2 Assessing Your Energy Needs The Kilowatt Hour Electrical Consumption and Capacity Comparing Service from Different Technologies Rating Photovoltaic Outputs Rating Wind Outputs Rating Microhydro Outputs Different Jobs — Different Power Requirements Assessing Your Requirements, Assessing Your Site How Much and What Type of Power do you Need? Assessing Your Consumption The Consumption Self-Rating Scale How Much Power Do You Need? Interpreting Your Score Introducing the Capacity Self-rating Scale The Capacity Self-rating Scale Off-grid and Needing Some Power How Much is Enough? Do You Need Power in the Winter? If You Need Just a Bit of Power If You Live There Full-time The Magic Number Getting Even More Performance from Your System 3 Assessing Your Site Step 1: Measuring Stream Flow Estimating Flow Rate The Container Method The Weir Method Step 2: Measuring Pressure Using a Pressure Gauge Converting Pressure into Head Measuring Maximum Flow Rate Surveying Using a Water Level Go Figure! Step 3: Creating a Stream Profile Calculating Potential Output Step 4: Calculating Allowable Frictional Loss Rate Go Figure! Step 5: Finding Optimum Flow Rate Go Figure! Step 6: Calculating Power Output Choosing Jets Go Figure! 4 The Appropriate System for You Battery Charging Systems Batteries in Microhydro Charging Batteries Charge Control Producing AC from Batteries with an Intverter Alternators Turbines Impulse Turbines for High Head Low Head Turbines Low Head AC Turbines Other Turbine Solutions Constructing your own Turbine Balance of System Equipment Batteries Battery Charge Control Diversion Loads Inverters Small AC Systems Governing Small AC Systems More Early Practices Modern Solutions AC Systems Efficiency Governing Larger AC Systems AC Turbines Belt Drives Low Head, Multiple-kilowatt AC Transmitting AC Power 5 Getting Started About Pipe Polyethylene (Poly) PVC Sizing Pipe Low Pressure and High Pressure Pipe Microhydro Opportunities Spring Water Existing Pipes Low Head Systems Microhydro Obstacles Very Steep Ground Waterfalls Debris High Water, Low Water Freezing Weather Ice Installing Microhydro Equipment Penstocks Plumbing Valves Pressure Gauge Vaccuum Breaker Plumbing in the Powerhouse Intakes 6 Regulations and Incentives The Carrot: Government Incentives for Microhydro Appropriate Incentives for Appropriate Technology Incentives in Canada Incentives in the United States The Stick: Regulations The Process in British Columbia Department of Fisheries and Oceans Department of Water, Land and Air Protection 7 Case Studies Case Study 1: A System with a Long Pipeline The Problem The Solution Replacing this System Today Case Study 2: A System with a Long Transmission Line The Problem The Solution Replacing this System Today Case Study 3: A Simple System The Problem The Solution Replacing this System Today Case Study 4: A Small AC System The Problem The Solution Case Study 5: Upgrading a Small AC System The Problem The Solution Replacing this System Today Case Study 6: A Low-head AC System The Problem The Solution Case Study 7: A Relatively High-output System The Problem The Solution Replacing this System Today Glossary Resources Index About the Author