small scale hydro-electricity

The generation of electricity from water is a long-established technology, used effectively from Victorian times. Flowing water turns a turbine or propeller, which in turn rotates a generator, creating electricity.

The amount of energy you will be able to generate depends principally on two things: the flow rate of the water and the head, which is the vertical distance through which the water falls from the reservoir (or river) to the turbine exit.

Hydro electric projects can be very economic. Water is much denser than air, so you get a lot more energy out for the same turbine size than you do from wind. A relatively small turbine (perhaps twice as big as a heating boiler) on a modest river, with a head of perhaps 2-3m, might generate enough electricity for 5 or more households over a year.

The main costs of a hydro project tend to be the civil engineering costs associated with creating a suitable housing for the turbine and directing the water flow. The most attractive projects can be ones where old mills can be re-used or converted. You will need to obtain water extraction permissions from the Environment Agency, and sometimes other local authorities, despite the fact that you'll be putting the water back.

There are many shapes and sizes of turbines, and the optimum choice for you will depend on the peculiarities of your site. Our design tools, site assessments and evaluations from plans will be sufficient to tell you whether a scheme is viable in your circumstances.