Think small-scale hydro generation is just a pipe dream? Think again. Kate Jordan looks at a new product from New Zealand that’s making waves.

From new-age hippies trying to get off the grid to farmers reducing their overheads, customers considering micro hydro power generation are a varied bunch. They all have one thing in common though: they’re searching for a cost-effective, reliable and efficient small hydro generator – and a New Zealand company thinks it has the solution.

PowerSpout is a domestic-scale micro hydro generator. It uses a reconfigured Fisher and Paykel Smart Drive, is fully encased with no exposed moving parts and is capable of producing 1.6kW constant output around the clock. All it needs to operate is water running down a natural fall.

“Every site is different. It’s all relative as to how much fall and flow you have and how much power we can get,” says Australian PowerSpout silver dealer Darren Cooper.

Although this statement may appear incredibly vague, it’s still a truism; a small amount of water flowing down a 40m drop can provide as much energy as a larger amount flowing down a 5m drop. That’s why PowerSpout offers a custom service: each generator is made to order, in consultation with the property owner.

The first step is to use the calculator on the PowerSpout website.

“You enter the amount of water that you have available, the length and size of the pipe, and the specifications of your electrical cables if your generator is remote from where you’re going to use the power. The calculator will then give you power at the turbine and power at your shed,” Darren says.

To ensure the client gets the most power out of their turbine, the purchasing process is quite consultative.

“Usually you have three or four conversations with people, about their site and what they’re trying to do. The turbine is then built to suit the specifications entered into the calculator. There’s around 300 different windings that can be put into the units, so it’s all matched to the site specifications,” Darren says.

There are three models available, each with a different rotor type, that are then customised to the clients’ needs. The three rotors include the Low Head (made from stainless steel), the Turgo and the Pelton (both injected-moulded with glass-filled nylon).

While there are options for under 120V DC, all models above this require an electrician to connect it up.

The PowerSpout is naturally suited to areas with both water and a natural fall – generally rural areas.

“Rural will have the ability to harvest water,” Darren says. “We have got some in industrial premises, where they have waste water. We have actually been asked about sewage treatment, but we can’t have the lumpy bits.”

The micro hydro generators have been installed all over the world, from New Zealand to Romania, and everywhere in between.

The technology can have multiple applications. As a single generator can produce 1.6kW with enough consistent water flow, it can cater to the average home’s consumption. Generators can also be easily ‘piggy backed’, to produce more electricity from the same stream.

Darren gives the example of a sheep farm in Cressy, Tasmania. The farm already has pipe work in place for irrigation that runs down a 90m fall from the hills to the paddocks; the pressure from the fall ensures they can irrigate the land without the need for pumps. The pipes were only in use for three or four months of the year.

“We put a spur line off their existing infrastructure and got a water licence for 200 Ml of water over the winter. When they’re not irrigating, we now use the hydro turbines,” Darren says.

“They’re getting around 6.5kW, around 150 to 160 kWh a day, and that goes back into the grid. When their contract runs out, we’ll do some rationalisation and change the metering points, so the homestead, office, visitors’ house, shearing shed and workshop will be able to consume the power from the turbines. They just sheared around 6,000-8,000 sheep and didn’t use any power from the grid.”

While Darren is quick to point out the benefits of hydro over solar – namely the ability to generate power 24/7 and the freedom from large batteries – he also acknowledges that hydro marries well with solar.

“Some people will only have sun for six or seven months of the year. They’ll be fine in the summer, but in winter they can’t get enough power, so they have to run a generator,” he says.

The coupling of solar and hydro can reduce or remove the reliance on a generator and allow the owner to go completely off-grid.

Whether solo or in conjunction with solar panels, PowerSpout appears to have a lot to offer those interested in generating their own power.