Hello everyone! I've been lurking the permies forums for years and learned so much, and finally actually signed up! This forum is a wealth of knowledge and I really apreaciate the people here who have helped me, even though I was only lurking.
I need advice for an off grid power system at our place in the Klamath mountains. I really want to do micro hydro! I know that some advise is that solar is cheaper and easier these days, but I'm not so sure. Il try to build some context first then ask questions.
Our place is heavily forested, and mostly a west facing slope, there is solar potential and I have a small 200w setup, but the very cloudy winters often go a week or more without clear skies. Our creek is year round, and the previous owner had micro hydro with a 3 inch pipe that was broken when we arrived. I have attempted to do my homework. I have 100ft of head (drop) and around 50 gallons per minute, and then need to transmit the power about 250ft to the homesite. web calculators put this at 300-500 watts of potential electricity.
Some sources tell me that this, with a battery bank, could get me into the desired 10kwh range that I'm hoping for. I want to run a relatively low power household.. Some laptops, lights, refrigerator, a few hundred watts for music equipment. No air conditioning or microwaves. I would like to run some shop tools, like my table saw which is 1600w. I belive the 10kwh target will meet my needs. Also, my budget is small (of course) I'd like to start as cheap as I can, but buy equipment that can grow in capacity.
Questions
Penstok: I hate pvc, I'd rather work with polytubing or pex. I'm thinking 2". I don't think I can bury it.
The turbine: They vary in price so much! Has anyone had experience with the cheap Chinese Pelton wheels from ebay?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/354453471062
200$ for 500w at 110v! There are many more in the 200$ range on eBay. This compared to the water buddy or a Harris, which are hard to find anyway, and cost much more. The US made ones are all like 2k$.
Batteries: If I have 300w or more, continuous and year round, how much storage do I really need? Like if I want to spend the day using tools, I know I need to supply the peak load, but will a few hundred AH be enough? Perhaps I start with 2 100ah batteries at 24v and get more later? do any woodworkers care to state how many AH they need to get though a day?
Transmission: my Pelton will be downhill from the house, 250ish ft away. Some peltons are 110v..send that uphil and step it down?
Equipment : charge controller with dumpload and over/undercharge protection , batteries, Inverter in the 2-3kw range. Circuit breaker. Any brand recommendations, especially money saving options appreciated. Finding the right equipment at a good price is hard to navigate, there are so many options that my eyes glaze over.
Adding solar: a charge controller with multiple inputs that could also take a solar array would be great, but perhaps I don't need it? Some sources say 500w of hydro is plenty for an efficient house. Thoughts?
Thank you for reading and for any advice!
