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Micro Hydro Power Plant

Micro hydro power is a type of hydroelectric power that typically produces up to 100 kW of electricity using the natural flow of water. These installations can provide power to an isolated home or small community, or are sometimes connected to electric power networks. There are many of these installations around the world, particularly in developing nations as they can provide an economical source of energy without the purchase of fuel. Micro hydro systems complement photovoltaic solar energy systems because in many areas, water flow, and thus available hydro power, is highest in the winter when solar energy is at a minimum. Micro hydro is frequently accomplished with a pelton wheel for high head, low flow water supply. The installation is often just a small dammed pool, at the top of a waterfall, with several hundred feet of pipe leading to small generator housing. Micro hydro systems are very flexible and can be deployed in a number of different environments. They are dependent on water flow from the source (creek, river, and stream) as well as the flow's velocity. Energy can be stored in battery banks at sites that are far from a facility or used in addition to a system that is directly connected so that in times of high demand there is additional reserve energy available. These systems can be designed to minimize potential damage regularly caused by large dams or other mass hydroelectric generation sites.

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