Micro Hydro Power in Twin Falls, ID

How Micro Hydro Power Works

A hydropower system uses flowing water to turn a generator, producing electricity that powers our homes. Typically, these systems are extremely large and require a humongous quantity of water to turn the generators that produce a massive amount of electricity. A micro hydro power system scales this down significantly, requiring less water to turn a smaller generator that provides a smaller amount of electricity that is better suited to lower-scale applications, like a single home or business.

Every micro hydro power system contains a few common features:

• Water conveyance, which carries the water collected at an inlet to the generator system itself. This is typically either an open channel, a pipeline, or a pressurized pipeline for more consistent generation.
• A turbine, which transforms the energy of moving water into electricity by rotating a generator motor to produce power.
• A regulator, which is an extremely important component that controls the generator and ensures consistent and even electrical output.
• A wiring grid, which delivers the electricity to your home or wherever it is needed around your property.

However, don’t let the “micro” in the name sway your thinking into believing these systems are not that powerful. A typical micro hydro power system can produce up to 100 kilowatts of electricity, so long as conditions are optimal and the water source is large enough. That’s enough to power even some medium to large-size farms, industrial plants, and large homes with extensive energy requirements. These systems continuously charge a collection of batteries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As you use power, it’s pulled from these batteries

Once the water travels through and turns your generator, it then exits your system back into the same water source it was pulled from, meaning these systems consume virtually zero water at all. In fact, micro hydro power systems have one of the smallest environmental impacts of any energy generating system available today. Plus the incredible amount of electricity they can generate makes them one of the greatest investments both in your short and long-term future.