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Harnessing hydro power at micropower level means typically under 100kW and involves utilising naturally flowing water on land, usually rivers and streams. The type of turbine that is submerged into the water depends upon the site, geological formation of the land and flow of water present. Hydraulic power can be captured wherever a flow of water falls from a higher level to a lower level. This may occur where a stream runs down a hillside, or a river passes over a waterfall or man-made weir, or where a reservoir discharges water back into the main river. Performance details The performance and size of micro-hydro schemes is very site specific with plant ranging from a few hundred watts to 100kW, with the higher range used for commercial schemes. For a low head system costs are around £4,000 per kW for projects under 10kW (not including civil works) and for a medium head scheme, there is a fixed cost of £10,000 and then about £2,500 per kW for projects under 10kW. A typical 5kW domestic scheme may cost around £20,000 to £25,000, however unit costs drop for larger schemes. A typical house without mains electricity connection but with access to a micro-hydro site, can be serviced with a reliable electricity supply at low cost. To find out how to get micro-hydro please click on our Micropower Council member links below: The British Hydropower Association
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