Anyone who has a river or creek nearby has the potential to supply their own clean, efficient electricity.  And in this day and age, an opportunity to create your own power is an enviable position to be in. Streams offer a renewable natural source of energy that, if done right, can have little or no impact on the environment.  Micro-hydro power, which is hydro power for home-based systems, is probably the least known of the off-grid energy systems, but it has the potential to produce the most power.  Also, with the right site, flowing water can be more reliable than wind or sun – especially in remote wooded areas (our specialty!).

Hydro power is based on simple concepts. Moving water turns a turbine, the turbine spins a generator and electricity is produced.  The amount of power that can be produced is dependant on two factors: the stream flow (how much water runs through) and the drop (head) which provides the pressure behind the flow. There are varying opinions on how much water needs to flow to operate a successful micro-hydro system, but it seems that at least 2 gallons per minute of flowing water and a good drop; or at least 2 feet of drop and 500 gallons per minute of water flow are needed. (See links at end of article on how to measure the water-volume flow rates.)

Micro-hydro systems function much like the old grist mills. They run alongside a river or stream, diverting a small amount of water into 2”- 4” plastic pipe which then jets through a nozzle and spins a turbine. The water is then returned to the source. These cause much less eco-damage than dams because they don’t interrupt the entire water flow or create a pool of water in a reservoir. They are built with simple technology, making it possible for people with basic training to maintain their own power systems.

In planning a micro hydro system, accurate site assessment is vital because it not only determines the micro hydro energy potential but also helps determine the perfect location for the apparatus to be installed.  The terrain surrounding the stream must be suitable for running a length of pipe from the proposed intake structure to the powerhouse location. It also requires access for construction and maintenance.  (See links at end of article.)

There is an abundant supply of streams that criss-cross Middle Tennessee making micro-hydro power very feasible.  You can take just about any creek, spring, pond, or river and turn it into clean, efficient electricity. Of course, it’s best to have a site with year-round running water, such as Factory Falls to the left or Canyon Falls below, but isn’t that exactly the sort of place we’d like to live in anyway? And if the site doesn’t have a consistent flow, that’s okay, in areas with high rainfalls in the winter and plenty of sun in the summers, such as Middle Tennessee, hydropower combines naturally with solar for year-round self-sufficiency.