Hydro power is one of the oldest forms of renewable energy known to man. We have been capturing the power of water for millennia and using it in various applications.

If you are fortunate enough to have a running water course on your land, it could be that you have the potential to provide power for yourself, and to the grid, with more predictability and consistency than any other form of renewable energy.

You may also be surprised to know that you do not have to have a massive river in order to generate usable amounts of energy. The ability to generate energy from hydro power depends mainly on two things, ‘head’ (which is the difference in height between where the water is abstracted from the river or stream and the turbine), and ‘flow’ which is the volume of water that is (on average) flowing.

However, although hydro is a very desirable source of renewable energy, it is not as straightforward as say Solar PV or even wind.

There are many variables to be taken into account, as using water to produce energy usually means abstracting the water from the river before putting it back further downstream. Therefore, we have to look in detail at the possible environmental impact of any such scheme. All hydro schemes will need an Environment Agency Abstraction Licence.

At Ecosaveit we aim to offer complete ‘end to end’ project management. So if you feel you may have the possibility of creating a hydro-electric generation scheme on your land, we will visit and do an initial appraisal. At this point we will explain how a project works and give some idea of the potential costs and rewards. Following that (assuming you wish to proceed) our specialist designer will complete a full feasibility study. Again, assuming that comes back positively, we can proceed into the full project.

Due to the nature of a hydro project the time frame is likely to be much longer than PV or wind. Realistically we would expect a hydro project to take between eighteen months and two years to complete. At EcoSaveIt we have access to considerable expertise that has been responsible for many schemes both here and abroad.

The rewards from a hydro scheme can be considerable. You may find yourself in a position where you need use no electricity from the grid at all, day or night, whatever the weather. The likelihood is also that you will be exporting considerable amounts of power back to the grid. As hydro power qualifies for the Feed In Tariff (subject to MCS installation conditions) you are likely to see a very good return on your investment.

Of all the renewable energy sources hydro demands the most in terms of thought and planning but probably gives the highest reward in both self sufficiency and on your investment.

If you think you may have a potential hydro scheme please contact us for an initial assesssment meeting.

Contact EcoSaveIt for a FREE no obligation assessment and quotation for your property. Phone us now on 0845 50 56789 or Click Here to submit your enquiry.