by D. O'Larde

Created on: October 31, 2008

The idea of putting up a micro hydroelectric power plant or other alternative power supplies is most desired when buying power from the utility company is not feasible. When a domestic user lives in an isolated area far from an existing power grid the power company will not invest so much transmission lines and structures just to cover the electrical energy needs of one household. It just not makes sense. You are left with no alternative but alternative power. Depending upon the availability of raw or natural sources that can be tapped for electric power generation you can put up a micro hydroelectric power plant, solar power source, or wind power source.

A steady stream of water at about 100 gallons per minute and falling at an elevation of 10 feet or at about 5 gallons per minute and falling at an elevation of 200 feet through a pipeline can generate about 90 watts of electricity depending upon the efficiency of the energy conversion. The height of fall and the rate of flow of the steady stream of water determines how much electric power can be generated but reduced by losses in the pipeline, turbine, and generator. In harnessing the potential energy available from water impounded such as in a dam a pipeline called a penstock is installed from the intake, a point near the top water level down to the water discharge point where a turbine is turned by pressure of water flowing. A turbine is a rotary engine with curved vanes on a central rotating spindle actuated by pressure from a current of fluid such as water. The turbine is coupled to a generator converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy. It is technically called a micro hydroelectric power plant when it is designed to supply electric power at a small scale such as to a single family dwelling in an isolated area where there is much rain or natural source of water throughout the year.

Where there is so much sunshine solar power can be tapped to generate electricity. In countries such as Germany
solar power is very much in use.U.S. is somewhat slower in using solar power, but with the present initiative to reduce greenhouse gases globally it will not be surprising to see the growth of solar power real soon. Many should be familiar by now that there are calculators and lighting systems that uses sunlight for power supply. The growth that we are looking for is the use of solar power in providing electricity in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Electrical power from sunlight is made possible by what is called solar cells. Solar cells do not store electricity like ordinary batteries. They work only when the sun is shining. In a solar electric power supply a form of storage such as a battery is necessary to provide electricity when the sun is not shining.

Where wind is the predominant natural source of energy wind turbines are used to generate electricity. This is one if not the most environmentally friendly alternative electric power source today because the wind turbine uses the very air we want to protect from pollution. It can be built as a stand-alone power supply or a large number of wind turbine structures can be erected in an area where there is a relatively constant wind velocity and connected to the power grid for a more cost-effective usage.

In an alternative power supply system where the use of a battery is needed and/or the voltage generated is not the normal household utility voltage of 120 VAC inverters (converts DC voltage to AC voltage) and transformers (transforms 12, 24, or 48 VAC to 120VAC) are used.

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