Water Turbines - Mini-Hydro

If you could choose any renewable energy source to fulfil your electricity needs then hydro would be the one.

A Hydropower system will initially require more effort to install but will cost considerably less than a photo-voltaic system and will generate electricity 24 hours a day, rain or shine. Only two things are important: Water flow (litres per minute) and fall (meters).

Water Turbines work by passing the flowing water from your water source through a pipeline to turn a generator; the generator converts this rotational energy into electricity.

Water Turbines deliver electricity whenever the rotor is turning so once the batteries are full the electricity has to be used (wasted by means of a diversion load or be used to heat water e.g.) or the water must be stopped to prevent the generator from running and thus producing electricity.

At off-grid sites the electricity produced can be stored using batteries and used as either a low voltage direct current or passed through an inverter and used as 230 Volt alternating current which is the same as your normal domestic power supply, of course the alternate current can be injected into the public mains if the site is connected to the grid.

Learn more about how Water Turbines work: click here!