A New Era in Home-Owner Hydro

(Page 10 of 12)

April/May 1994
 
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Transmission lines can be run overhead, but underground is neater and safer. They need to be properly sized for current and distance. It's not uncommon for the powerhouse to be a few hundred feet away from where the electricity is being used. Beyond this, however, you'll need to step the voltage up. In extreme cases, power can be pushed a mile or more.

RELATED CONTENT

Experts recommend that you seek an electrician's services when it comes to wiring. DC, AC, inverters, controllers, batteries—leave this to a pro. Insist that the installation meets the National Electric Code. Your life depends on it.

By now it should be clear that installing a hydro system isn't a weekend project. It's a long, sweaty job that might take a few weeks or even a summer. At the end, however, you can look forward to a moment of bliss: turning on the penstock valve for the very first time.

For Further Information

Workshops
Hands-on hydropower classes are offered by Solar Energy International, Carbondale, CO (303) 963-8855; and, in Canada, by Robert Mathews, Chase, B.C. (604) 679-8589.

Turbines
 DC systems are manufactured by Harris Hydroelectric Systems, 632 Swanton Road, Davenport, CA 95017 (408) 4257652; Energy Systems & Design, Sussex, N.B. Canada (506) 4333151; and Lil Otto Hydroworks, P.O. Box 203, Hornbrook, CA 96044 (916) 475-3401.
Turbines for AC systems are manufactured by Canyon Industries, Deming, WA (206) 592-5552; Water Power Machinery, Midland, TX (915) 6976955; and Dependable Turbines, Port Moody, B. C. Canada (604) 461-3121.

Books
 Many valued reference books are out of print but can be found in a library. Look for Harnessing Water Power for Home Energy, by Dermot McGuigan, published in 1978 by Garden Way Publishing Company, and Energy Primer, pub lished in 1974 by the Portola Institute in Menlo Park, CA.
Two books in print, Micro-Hydropower Sourcebook (Allen Inversin, NRECA Foundation, 1800 Massachusetts Ave. N.W, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 857-9696) and Micro-Hydro Power (by Peter Fraenkel, Intermediate Technology Publications, 103 Southampton Row, London, WC 1B 4HH, England) are design and installation manuals for development workers overseas. Both are exhaustive and leavened with real world difficulties and experiences.
Home Power magazine runs frequent hydropower articles. Contact them at P.O. Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520 (916) 475-3179.

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