#Micro hydro power for off grid houses generator#

On top of that, make sure to have big batteries for power storage. Otherwise, the equipment needed to get power to your house will end up costing more than the setup itself. It’s also highly recommended that you set this up as close to home as possible.

If you live in a place that gets a lot of snow, consider how spring floodwaters raise the water levels. Water flow fluctuates in most places seasonally, so you must take that into your reckoning when you first set up. Also, the river cannot drop below a certain level, or you won’t have enough momentum to keep your turbine ticking. You must have enough water flow rate and drop. The legal bit is easier if you’re completely off-grid and don’t plan on selling any of your power to the local company.Īdditionally, this medium of harnessing power is site-specific. Even if the water is on your own property, you must check with the local authorities to see if the design requires diverting the river. Hydro Power Cons:Īs with any good idea, this has challenges to overcome. These systems are also much more reliable than the local power grid. Nowadays, there are also fish-friendly turbines available, so you don’t have to worry about injuring local wildlife. The fuel source is simply the flow of water. Unlike the burning of fossil fuels, electricity generation with micro-hydro produces no pollution. There will be some small impact on the local environment during construction, but this impact is minimal with small-scale systems.

#Micro hydro power for off grid houses generator#

Water passes through the generator and is directed back into the stream. No reservoir is required, as micro-hydro functions as a so-called “run-off-river” system.

There’s also little environmental impact. In contrast to solar power, peak hydroelectric production is in the winter months when electricity demands tend to be higher. Maintenance costs are low and providing you have constant running water, you’ll also have power that can be turned on/off as needed. This type of electricity production can power your home easily while also creating enough for long-term storage.Īnother benefit is that they’re relatively straightforward to set up. On average, a typical home in the Midwestern USA will use 900 kWh per month. However, if this were a community development project, the cost would be spread over several families.Ī system can generate from 5kWh to 100kWh. That’s a fraction of what the average household will pay in power company bills annually.Ī system large enough to power several homes may cost as much as $20,000. The average micro-hydro turbine setup only costs between $1000 and $5000. Hydro Power Prosįirst off, hydroelectricity is very affordable. Apart from the eventual replacement of batteries, inverter, etc., there are no waste products to this design. The average design is one of the most cost-effective that’s currently widely available.Īs it just requires flowing water as an energy source, it’s pollution-free and, after correct set up, has no impact on the environment.