Learning Micro Hydro Power in depth
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the untapped potential of micro hydropower as a decentralized renewable energy source. The narrator shares their personal journey with micro hydro power generation, starting in the 90s with a direct drive system powered by spring water. After facing challenges due to drought, they upgraded to a more robust system using a creek. The video highlights the importance of education, as the narrator's confidence in system design came from attending a comprehensive micro hydro course at Solar Energy International. The course, taught by experienced instructors, covers all aspects of micro hydro system installation, from theory to hands-on practice, and inspires others to harness the power of water effectively.
Takeaways
- π Water power has been used for centuries to simplify physical tasks, with large-scale industrial applications like dams and reservoirs being the most common.
- πΏ Micro hydropower is a decentralized and often overlooked method for harnessing electric capacity, which can be a viable alternative to large-scale power generation.
- ποΈ The speaker's journey with micro hydropower began in the 1990s on an off-grid property in Colorado, utilizing spring water for power generation.
- π After 18 years, the original system faced challenges due to a mega drought and changes in water flow, leading to an upgrade to a creek-based system.
- π§ The upgraded system involved a significant investment, including building a new powerhouse, penstock, bridge, and power transmission line.
- π‘ The speaker gained foundational knowledge and confidence in micro hydropower systems through a course at Solar Energy International (SEI) in 1993.
- π¨βπ« The SEI course, taught by Ken Gardner and Gabe Stevens, provided comprehensive training on micro hydropower, including practical and theoretical aspects.
- π The course covered essential topics like measuring head and flow, turbine types, load control systems, and common pitfalls to avoid.
- π·ββοΈ Hands-on instruction and site visits were part of the course, allowing participants to see real-world applications and installations.
- π The speaker encourages others to attend such comprehensive training to gain knowledge and avoid costly mistakes in micro hydropower system installation.
- πΉ The speaker documents various micro hydropower systems on his YouTube channel, 'Mr. Hydro Head,' to share knowledge and inspire others.
Q & A
What is the most common application of hydropower mentioned in the script?
-The script mentions that the most common application of hydropower is on a huge industrial scale, which has resulted in the centralization of power generation with enormous dams and reservoirs.
What is the significance of micro hydropower according to the speaker?
-Micro hydropower is significant because it represents a decentralized and viable means of harnessing electric capacity, as opposed to the centralized power generation methods like large wind farms and huge solar arrays.
When did the speaker's journey with micro hydro power generation begin?
-The speaker's journey with micro hydro power generation began in the early 90s.
What was the source of water for the first micro hydropower system installed by the speaker?
-The first system, installed in 1996, was supplied with spring water collected from two separate springs and transported in nearly a mile of four-inch pipe.
Why did the speaker decide to upgrade their micro hydropower system in 2013?
-The speaker decided to upgrade their system in 2013 because the springs began to lose their abundant flow due to an extended mega drought in the west and the installation of a pond which may have directed water away from their underground aquifer.
What was the output of the new system the speaker installed in 2013?
-The new system in 2013 was expected to have a far greater output of power, utilizing the original Pelton turbine and generator that the speaker had purchased in 1996.
What is the mr hydro head YouTube channel and how did it come into being?
-The mr hydro head YouTube channel came into being as a result of the speaker's decision to document in over 20 videos the two-year process of designing and building a new powerhouse for their upgraded micro hydropower system.
What did the speaker learn at the course specific to micro hydro at Solar Energy International?
-At the course, the speaker gained a broad and solid basis of knowledge about micro hydro, and the instructors helped them design their first system and get a good deal on the equipment needed.
Who teaches the micro hydro training course at Solar Energy International?
-The micro hydro training course at Solar Energy International is taught by Ken Gardner, a licensed engineer, and Gabe Stevens, who has worked with Ken on numerous and varied projects.
What kind of practical instruction is provided in the micro hydro training course?
-The course provides hands-on instruction in techniques for determining accurate head measurements, measuring flow with specialized equipment and simpler techniques, and demonstrating how different types of micro hydro equipment are installed, adjusted, tested, and function.
Why does the speaker urge others to attend the micro hydro training course?
-The speaker urges others to attend the course because it provided them with the knowledge and confidence to install their own systems and can likely help avoid a wide range of mistakes which can be both frustrating and costly.
Outlines
π Harnessing Micro Hydro Power: A Personal Journey
The speaker reflects on the historical use of water power for physical tasks and the common perception of hydropower as a large-scale, centralized industry. They introduce micro hydropower as an underutilized, decentralized method for generating electricity. The speaker shares their personal experience with micro hydro power, starting in the early 1990s with a remote off-grid property in Colorado. They discuss two different micro hydro systems installed over 26 years, the first using spring water and the second upgraded to utilize water from a creek. The speaker credits their knowledge and confidence in system design to a course at Solar Energy International, which they revisited to update their skills. The video also introduces the 'Mr Hydro Head' YouTube channel, which documents the process of designing and building a new powerhouse, penstock, bridge, and power transmission line for the upgraded system.
π Comprehensive Micro Hydro Training at Solar Energy International
The speaker details their experience attending an updated micro hydro training course at Solar Energy International in Paonia, Colorado. The course, taught by Ken Gardner and Gabe Stevens, covers a wide range of topics including system analysis, site location, design, and installation. It includes both classroom instruction and hands-on practical work, teaching methods for measuring head and flow, understanding different turbine types, and managing AC and DC loads. The course also involves site visits to see real-world system installations and operations, providing valuable insights from system owners. The speaker emphasizes the importance of such comprehensive training for those considering installing their own micro hydro systems, highlighting the potential to avoid costly mistakes and gain confidence in system design and operation.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Hydropower
π‘Micro-hydropower
π‘Decentralized power generation
π‘Pelton turbine
π‘Off-grid property
π‘Head (in hydropower)
π‘Flow (water flow)
π‘Direct drive system
π‘Mega drought
π‘Solar Energy International (SEI)
π‘AC load control
Highlights
Man has used water power for centuries to simplify physical tasks.
Hydropower is often associated with large-scale industrial applications and centralized power generation.
Micro hydropower is a decentralized and viable alternative for harnessing electric capacity.
The speaker's journey with micro hydro power began in the early 90s with a remote off-grid property in Colorado.
The first micro hydro system installed in 1996 used spring water and was a direct drive system.
After 18 years, the springs began to lose flow due to a mega drought and a pond installation.
In 2013, an upgrade was made to a creek system with a greater power output using the original Pelton turbine and generator.
The Mr. Hydro Head YouTube channel documents the two-year process of designing and building a new powerhouse.
The new system includes a six-inch penstock, a bridge, a new collection system, and a power transmission line.
The speaker gained confidence in micro hydropower systems through a course at Solar Energy International.
Solar Energy International offers a comprehensive micro hydro training course.
The course covers analyzing, locating, designing, and installing micro hydro systems.
Practical methods for measuring head and flow are taught, along with turbine types and system designs.
The course includes hands-on instruction and site visits to see real-world micro hydro installations.
Attending the course provided the knowledge and confidence to install both of the speaker's systems.
The speaker encourages others to attend the course to avoid costly mistakes in system installation.
The course takes place in the beautiful surroundings of western Colorado.
The speaker plans to document other micro hydro systems and invites viewers to subscribe and engage with the channel.
Transcripts
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over the ages man has used water power
to simplify many physical tasks the most
common application of hydropower has
been on a huge industrial scale which
has resulted in the centralization of
power generation with enormous dams and
reservoirs when you hear about renewable
power you generally hear about
technologies of large wind farms which
are again centralized power generating
on a massive scale and huge solar arrays
which are of the same utility grade
scale
i have said before that the movement of
water on earth is the largest movement
of mass on earth and something we would
be wise to capture when hydropower is
mentioned it is usually said that the
resource has already been maximized
there is seldom any mention of micro
hydropower as a decentralized and viable
means of harnessing electric capacity in
this video i'd like to discuss how i
became proficient in the process of
harnessing power from water my own
journey with micro hydro power
generation began in the early 90s we
were fortunate to locate a remote
off-grid property in colorado which had
abundant water flowing over it in the
last 26 years we have harnessed micro
hydropower with two very different yet
very similar systems
the first system we installed in 1996
was supplied with spring water collected
from two separate springs
and transported in nearly a mile of four
inch pipe
it was a direct drive system because we
had adequate pressure and it also fed a
pond where we could raise trout after 18
years of use the springs began to lose
the abundant flow due to an extended
mega drought in the west and the
installation of a pond which may have
directed water away from our underground
aquifer which fed our springs in 2013 we
decided to make a substantial investment
to upgrade the system by moving to a
creek which ran on a piece of land which
we purchased in the mid 90s the new
system would have a far greater output
of power utilizing the original pelton
turbine and generator we had purchased
in 1996.
that is how the mr hydro head youtube
channel came into being and in over 20
videos we chronicled in detail the
two-year process of designing and
building a new powerhouse building a new
six-inch pen stock which would carry up
to 300 gallons per minute
and also required a bridge we built
across the creek
we created a new collection system in
our upper meadow
and installed a new power transmission
line with a 480 volt transformer in the
house
we also installed beneficial ways to put
the power to use
supplying all our power needs
how did i feel confident enough to know
that moving to the second system would
work in 1993 i was fortunate to discover
and attend a course specific to micro
hydro at a place called solar energy
international it gave me a broad and
solid basis of knowledge and the
instructors actually helped me design my
first system and get a good deal on the
equipment i would need this past spring
i decided to re-attend the updated
course at sei their facility is located
in peonia colorado
where they offer classes primarily
focusing on solar education and
certification
however they also offer this class in
micro hydro training the course is
taught by ken gardner who is the
licensed engineer you've seen in other
videos on this channel and gabe stevens
who has worked with ken on many numerous
and varied projects i was pleased to see
how detailed and comprehensive the new
micro hydro course was it went into
depth on every aspect of analyzing
locating designing and installing the
necessary components of a microhydra
system there is a good amount of
classroom instruction where the
practical methods of measuring head and
determining accurate measurements of
flow are explained
there is discussion of various kinds of
turbines and when it is best to use each
of these designs
systems for ac load control dc charging
of batteries and diversion loads are
also explained some of the best
information provided are the pitfalls
and mistakes to be avoided all of this
instruction is not just theoretical but
is followed up with hands-on instruction
in the many techniques of determining
accurate head measurements
along with several methods of measuring
flow with specialized equipment and
other more simple techniques
this practical lab work extends to
demonstrating how different types of
micro hydro equipment are installed
adjusted
tested
and how they function
there are numerous site visits to
install functioning systems in the local
area where the principles presented in
the classroom are examined in real-world
applications
the owners of the systems discuss how
they were installed and how they operate
it's an opportunity to see a wide
variety of installations
for me it was a pleasure to meet other
people who had taken the initiative to
install their own systems i strongly
urge anyone looking to install a system
to avail themselves of this very
comprehensive training attending this
course is what gave me the knowledge and
the confidence to install both of my
systems you can likely avoid making a
wide range of mistakes which can be both
frustrating and very costly all of this
takes place amid the beauty and splendor
of western colorado on this channel i
have recently begun to locate and
document other systems which are not my
own
i will continue to do this and if you
are new to the channel i invite you to
subscribe comment and most importantly
hit that bell icon to be notified of new
uploads
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