Small scale hydropower scheme's.

[timberbear]

Does anyone generate electricity for there own use from hydropower. I've been involved in a 500kw scheme and it's hit me thinking. I'm looking at a small 10kw set up. I've got the head and flow rates but it's extremely expensive to do although pay back would be in six years. My main reason is free sustainable power, I'm look at my future retirement and ways I can save money in the future. So if you have a system any feedback welcomed.

[pycoed]

Have a look over on

The Farming Forum

 

There are several members with small scale hydro plant running ( for decades in at least one case!)

[timberbear]

Have a look over on

The Farming Forum

 

There are several members with small scale hydro plant running ( for decades in at least one case!)

 

 

Thanks pycoed. I'll have a look and might even join the forum!

[drinksloe]

I half heartedly looked into it at a house i'm doing up, 1 condition is the source of the burn usually has to be on your property so ur nieghbour cound not stop it/alter it. Thats where mine fell down also it can dry up in summer but have a massive ammount of head for the rest of year, while not ideal it dries up it may still have been vaible as i could have done most of the work myself.

Plus i would of piped the whole burn which is not allowed even thou it is a man made burn/ditch and has been used for something in the distant past, can see signs of sluices and a ruin below

 

Try having a look on energy saving trust site, think it has a bit of info and links to others. There is a fair bit on the net to try and figure out ur flow rates and head

 

Quite a few of the larger loacal landowners are putting them in, make far more sense than windmills. Should be encouraged far more. In most cases u would never know they had them apart from a tiny shed/turbine house.

[Mike Dempsey]

Navitron is one company who sell a variety of renewable energy systems. They also have a very good forum as well.

[matelot]

Does anyone generate electricity for there own use from hydropower. I've been involved in a 500kw scheme and it's hit me thinking. I'm looking at a small 10kw set up. I've got the head and flow rates but it's extremely expensive to do although pay back would be in six years. My main reason is free sustainable power, I'm look at my future retirement and ways I can save money in the future. So if you have a system any feedback welcomed.

 

If I could make an investment that would pay for itself in 6 years I would jump at it.

 

As a matter of interest how much would your scheme cost?

 

PS I'm absolutely green with envy - I'd love my own hydro scheme.

[mendiplogs]

Does anyone generate electricity for there own use from hydropower. I've been involved in a 500kw scheme and it's hit me thinking. I'm looking at a small 10kw set up. I've got the head and flow rates but it's extremely expensive to do although pay back would be in six years. My main reason is free sustainable power, I'm look at my future retirement and ways I can save money in the future. So if you have a system any feedback welcomed.

 

Hi TIM I think there's a place frome Somerset that runs off the river cost loads money thanks Jon

[timberbear]

If I could make an investment that would pay for itself in 6 years I would jump at it.

 

 

 

As a matter of interest how much would your scheme cost?

 

 

 

PS I'm absolutely green with envy - I'd love my own hydro scheme.

 

 

A brief desk top exercise for a do it yourself scheme is about 20k with about 30/35k to have it engineered and installed by a reputable company. It's about 7.5k return on the feed in tariff per year and the annual saving on power bought in.

[matelot]

A brief desk top exercise for a do it yourself scheme is about 20k with about 30/35k to have it engineered and installed by a reputable company. It's about 7.5k return on the feed in tariff per year and the annual saving on power bought in.

 

I'm not trying to be funny, but investing £35k to save £7,500 a year seems a no brainer...

[Richard 1234]

A brief desk top exercise for a do it yourself scheme is about 20k with about 30/35k to have it engineered and installed by a reputable company. It's about 7.5k return on the feed in tariff per year and the annual saving on power bought in.

 

 

How long do the systems last ?

Is it something that will last forever with maintenance ?