small hydro power systems & water rights

Before deciding to install a small hydro power system on your property, you should inform yourself about the requirements and the water rights issue.

Water Rights and permits

A necessary first step when planning a small hydro project on your property is to know how much water you can use or divert from the stream and your rights about that water (if you have them…).

These rights vary with each state, and aren’t included in other water rights: that is, you may already have a water right for some uses, but that doesn’t mean that you have the right to use the water of the stream to produce power.

So, contact local authorities (the county engineer…) or your state energy office or other national entities (in USA, the Army Corps of Engineers or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) for information, advice and assistance.

Other requirements

If your project involves connection to the electricity grid, or selling electricity to the utility, pay attention to a specific set of requirements.

See: Requirements for renewable systems connection to the electric grid

Assessing the hydro potential

The hydro potential of your site depends basically on 1) the amount of the water falling and 2) its velocity (highly connected to the head, that is, the vertical distance the water falls).

See: Assessing the Output of a Hydro Project

The Costs and Economics of Hydro Projects

See: Small Hydro Power Projects Feasibility and Economics