Home  Opinion Run of the River Power in Lions Bay?
Peter Gross
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The decision would be on cost vs benefit. The total energy that can be obtained by a small hydro plant is as follows; (Head is the vertical distance of the water flow) (Head(ft) x Flow in Cubic Feet per Second) / 11.8 = P = KW output. or (Head(ft) x Flow in Cubic Feet per Second) / 8.8 = HP output. Then take KW output x Hrs producing x Generating Rate ($/KWH) = $ So, in other words, if we can determine the flow of the water, and a realistic 'Head' estimation, the energy output can be calculated. This can then be compared to the cost of installation and maintenance. I have no idea if any water flow measurements have ever been taken, and James's comment that it goes dry in the summer is correct. However, during the winter months when demand is highest, the output will also be highest. Still, this is free energy. No idea what the install costs are, but if someone has a clue on the flow rates during various months I would be happy to compute the potential power output in kw/h and $ Cheers Peter |
James Nelson
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Micro hydro to power one house with a Turgo turbine generator at a maximum of 6700 watts would run about $10000. This would only operate in the winter when flow is greatest.This amount of power would limit your power use. The electric baseboard heat, electric furnace, electric stove, air conditioner, any heavy user would have to go. You would have to upgrade windows, insulation to achieve lower power consumption. If you are facing south to south west grid tied solar may be a better option. My house in the interior has R-28 walls, R-60 ceiling and double glazing. With a propane water heater, propane stove, passive solar heating backed up by a propane heated hot water radiant heating system I can just get by with a 4000 watt Inverter, powered by 16 155 watt solar panels backed up by 32 12V deep draw batteries. I have a 5000 watt diesel generator for back up. We are totally off grid. The whole system was expensive but there is no such thing as a free lunch or free energy for that matter. James |
Louis Peterson
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James Nelson has provided a very good and thorough review, but I would add a caution that residents are likely to be affected by the noise and whine of turbines, unless modern ones are extremely quiet. But then, something (or many things) have to give if we are to reduce fossil fuel consumption. LKP |
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