Assessment of site-specific features to the unit cost of micro hydro power plant

Abstract

Micro hydro power is a renewable source of energy and is commonly utilized for remote communities for electricity generation. The sustainability of a micro hydro system can be evaluated based on initial capital cost and the overall power output. The ratio of the capital cost and the overall power output is the unit-cost. In this paper, site specific characteristics specifically canal length and penstock slope are analysed to determine its effect in the unit-cost for micro hydro power plants. Calculations were conducted to quantify the total head loss that results from varying canal length and penstock slope. Capital cost is then evaluated using a disaggregated method based on literature. The results show that the canal length and penstock slope will give a significant effect on the micro hydro unit cost. Aside from the common micro hydro parameters of head and flowrate, the site-specific characteristic can also influence the sustainability of the system. It is therefore necessary to include the site-specific characteristics in the assessment of micro hydro systems.