How do I know if I have a good microhydro site?
If you have enough head and flow and have designed the catchment, distribution and generating system so that it can’t freeze (or to prevent its operation in freezing weather) and have connected the generator to a suitable energy storage system, then you should have the covered the basics for a useful micro hydro installation. Quantitative measurement of both head and flow must be done in order to know how much energy your hydro site is capable of producing. Also, since there will be considerable seasonal variation in the flow rate of area streams, it is important to know how the flow rate will vary over time. Month-to-month and even year-to-year variability needs to be estimated in order to make even a rough approximation of total energy output from a hydro source. In the end, it is usually some combination of actual measurement and guesstimation that yields a final number. Indeed, uncertainty in micro hydro potential often discourages its consideration as a feasible renewable energy o
