“Given the drawbacks and limitations of dams, hydropower proponents are shifting their focus to micro hydropower, wave power, and tidal power.” Ozzie zehner
A system is considered "microhydro" if it generates less than 100 kw. Microhydropower systems are typically run of the river systems that do not require a large amount of stream flow, which make them suitable for small streams or irrigation ditches. Below are several snapshots published by Alternative Energy that shed light onto the challenges and benefits of micro hydropower, while also addressing several misconceptions.
Microhydro is commonly found in small streams; however, there are many other locations that are suitable to host small systems, many of which utilize existing infrastructure.
While on my March Experience I visited two microhydro sites that used existing pipes and infrastructure, shedding light onto how there are countless opportunities to use micro hydro in places one would not often realize. Town of Basalt Micro Hydro Above the town of Basalt, Colorado, there is a natural spring that supplies the town of 3,800 residents with water. The pipe that travels down the mountain was originally depressurized to avoid blow-ups, but it is now pressurized to obtain the full energy potential. The water flows down the mountain, into a small 40 KW turbine and is then released back into the system. It is a non water consumptive system and because everything is happening in a pipe, there is no extreme ecological damage or minimum stream flow that must be honored. Bill Kane, the retired City Manager of Basalt, said this system "offers great hope in the West because the basic infrastructure already exists, the pipes simply need to be tapped." |
Snowmass Mountain MicroHydro
The information below is curtesy of Auden Schendler's report, Home Power- Sustainable Skiing.
Snowmaking pipes run everywhere at some ski resorts. So snowmaking supervisor Jimmy Holton asked, “If we already have half a hydroelectric system, why not just add a turbine and start making electricity?” We determined that a hydro plant could generate renewable energy at a fraction of the cost of using solar-electric panels. And the return on investment could be as low as seven years. Convinced that a microhydro system was the best way to generate onsite renewable energy, Snowmass Ski Area built a small powerhouse on Fanny Hill, the beginner slope at the base of the mountain. The building houses a 115 KW turbine attached to a 10-inch steel snowmaking pipe that drains water from a storage pond, which is 800 feet (244 m) farther up the mountain and is fed by West Brush Creek. In 2005, our first complete year of operation, we made some 200,000 kilowatt- hours (enough to power 40 homes), while preventing the emission of 400,000 pounds (181,437 kg) of carbon dioxide.
The information below is curtesy of Auden Schendler's report, Home Power- Sustainable Skiing.
Snowmaking pipes run everywhere at some ski resorts. So snowmaking supervisor Jimmy Holton asked, “If we already have half a hydroelectric system, why not just add a turbine and start making electricity?” We determined that a hydro plant could generate renewable energy at a fraction of the cost of using solar-electric panels. And the return on investment could be as low as seven years. Convinced that a microhydro system was the best way to generate onsite renewable energy, Snowmass Ski Area built a small powerhouse on Fanny Hill, the beginner slope at the base of the mountain. The building houses a 115 KW turbine attached to a 10-inch steel snowmaking pipe that drains water from a storage pond, which is 800 feet (244 m) farther up the mountain and is fed by West Brush Creek. In 2005, our first complete year of operation, we made some 200,000 kilowatt- hours (enough to power 40 homes), while preventing the emission of 400,000 pounds (181,437 kg) of carbon dioxide.