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Water power is the combination of head & flow. Both must be present
to produce electricity.
Head is water pressure, which is created by
the difference in elevation between the water intake and the turbine.
Head can be expressed as vertical distance (feet or meters) or as
pressure, such as pounds per square in (psi).
Flow is water quantity,
and is expressed as "volume per time" such as gallons per minute
(gpm),
cubic feet per second (cfs) or liters per minute. |
Streams run 24 hours a
day, seven days a week and often 52 weeks a year. The resource is
much more site-specific than solar, but if you are lucky enough to have
enough head and flow, then go hydro.
Small scale hydro is the cheapest way to power a renewable energy home.
The price per watt hour is cheaper than PV or even wind power.
If you have a stream on your property we can do a site inspection and
determine if a hydro system will work for you. We can then design
and install a custom system to fit your needs.
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