# Home hydroelectric power?



## Loquisimo (Nov 14, 2009)

I'm considering land in Oregon, where it's cloudy much of the time. The user "mousebandit" noted that I could use home hydroelectric power. I searched online and there are only 2 or 3 home turbine makers. Apparently you need to closely measure the flow of the stream. Of course, I'd need land with a year round stream, but that's common in west Oregon. Has anybody used home hydroelectric power, and what do you think of it?


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## TroyT (Jun 24, 2008)

I know of a couple here in Western Washington. The last one that came online took about 10 years to permit. Good luck, I would love to do it my self.


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## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

Most streams just don't produce enough energy to convert to electricity -- and even when the streams do produce enough energy, the cost to capture it is extremely high. Big streams and small waterfalls also add considerably to the price of land, at least here.

In most places, you don't actually own the stream, and making any changes to it, or installing things in it, requires an environmental assessment, permits, approvals, engineers, miles of red tape, etc. This one really depends on where you are.

Since you've eliminated solar, there are only so many "ways" to spin a turbine to produce electricity... so if you want to be off-grid, make a list, compare and decide which is most suitable for you. You have wind, water and alternative/conventional fuels remaining. Water or steam is going to be the most expensive and difficult.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Agree with OM.....most streams don't contain near the water you need, or don't have the fall....more you study it, the more you'll be amazed.

AND if you do have one big enough to actually generate, the permit problems increase exponentially.

Buddy of mine had a decent creek that ran down beside his place ( public road on the other side of the creek). We looked at "borrowing" some of the water, then returning it to the creek on the lower end of his property.....completely on the sly...no permit....just sneaking it.

He could fill a 6" pipe pretty much year around without really noticing the effect on the creek ( does so now to fill a trout pond, but the water returns to the creek not far below the intake ), but we could only get about 12' of fall from the upper end of his property to the generation point. We figured that "might" get him 400-500watts of power, based on the charts from turbine manufacturers. HECK of a lot of expense for that small watts. As bad as solar is to dwindle your checkbook, it was the route to go.


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## dezingg (Feb 25, 2010)

It's true that it's only 400-500 watts (in the stated situation) and that it is expensive. But you are talking about 400 watts/hour for 24 hours a day, especially if it is cloudy and rainy. I guess that it all depends on how much power you are using.

But you're right, 12 feet of drop isn't very much unless you have a high flow rate.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Add in the trouble of obtaining a non-consumable water right and costs just skyrocket.


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## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

Wind/solar might still be a better alternative for you. I lived in Oregon for several years (Corvallis) and have friends that are homesteading there too. They do NOT have enough water on their property for anything hydro. With my recollection too, I can't say you'll be able to find many properties with both enough water, and enough head for power generation. Shopping for land isn't like shopping for a car and buying whatever options you want. It's basicly a work with what is offered deal. You'll have to tailor your activities to what land is available, not tailor the land to what your activities are!

The weather in western Oregon is somewhat like that of northern California in that there is a clear wet season, and a clear dry season. It's just that the wet season there is as long as the dry season here is in California. You can expect though that you won't see a cloud in the sky anytime between June and September. Three months without rain, and hydro doesn't look that good any more.

I'd suggest your best bet for power will be a combination wind/solar system, with wood heat, and a generator backup. You'd need a fairly large wind generator, say one of the 1-3 kwatt models, because they produce much less power in low wind conditions, which I would expect you to have during most of Oregons drizzlly winter weather. For three months in the summer, you can expect lots of solar power. During the rainy season, expect to stock up on gasoline to top off your batteries when nature just doesn't want to cooperate.


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