posted 12 years ago
Hi, my name is Scott Davis. I am the author of Serious Microhydro: Water Power Solutions from the Experts. I have worked on, repaired, used, sold and designed small water power systems for decades, ever since I dropped out of graduate school in 1976 to work on a village scale hydroelectric system for a retreat centre in the interior of BC. I designed various waterpower systems locally and upgraded our family hydroelectric system. Eventually, I was a founder of Yalakom Appropriate Technology, an award winning renewable energy project development company. As I began to realize that the barriers to adopting renewable energy are not engineering challenges, I was also a founder of the non profit Friends of Renewable Energy BC.
This anthology of seventy some microhydro case studies is the "If I knew then what I know now" book about small waterpower project development.
Despite the fact that, where available, microhydro is the most powerful, simple and cost effective choice of renewable energy technologies, it remains difficult to find true information about this interesting topic. Even if you don't have a specific site in mind, there are many lessons to learn about energy in the process of developing such a system, and every one of the authors tells a good story.
Every site has many unique elements, making generalizations difficult. Experience is the usual way that complex topics become understood, and so I have brought together the experiences of dozens of author/project developers discussing more than seventy examples of microhydro systems. They range from large to small, with systems working on 22 inches of head (that's how far the water fell) and up to 746 feet. Systems used thousands of gallons per minute as well as systems using less than 10 gallons per minute are featured.
Testimonials from the owner/developers help to acquire a practical idea of how much power is enough. We live in a wasteful society. I have seen time and time again that a high standard of living can be enjoyed from a fraction of the average consumption of electricity. This book is full of testimonials to this fact of interest to everybody, not just those with a potential microhydro site in mind. It's astonishing what you can do with better appliances!
The anthology is a companion volume to Microhydro: Clean Power from Water. This is the "how to do it " book that I wish had been available during the construction phases of early system. It brings together a host of hard won practical experience at the plumbing and wiring project that is a microhydro development.
So anyway, if anyone has any questions about a potential site, or more general questions, I would be happy to discuss them.
Cheers,
Scotty
