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