Going hydro: How to become self sufficient the green way
Few people realise the impracticality of a new home in a former mill in its idyllic river side location. The reality of it is that often the property is isolated, and without access to mains electricity or water. Instead of going ‘off-grid’ and creating a power source that is independent of the national electricity grid, why not embrace this opportunity to go green and ‘go hydro’?
Step 1. Look into installing a turbine
(this could cost in the excess of 50,000 Euros, if you live in the Lot department, check and see if you are eligible for a grant from the FDE (la Federation Departementale d’Electricite du Lot). If your mill has no access to mains electricity and is isolated there is every chance you could be eligible for such financial support.)
Step 2. Get a study carried out by an environmental energy agency to see what kind of turbine is required.
(SERT is a company located just outside of Lyon and is dedicated to environmental energy. Telephone 04 72 18 02 02)
Step 3. Clean and maintain the turbine regularly.
With smaller turbines, leaves and weeds can block the grill and hinder the performance of the turbine. It may be up to 3 or 4 times a day that you have to check that it is all in good working order.
Step 4. Ensure that you are supplied with batteries so that no energy is wasted.
Not all energy that is generated will be used so it is important to store all energy that is created. The weather obviously has the biggest impact and the height of the river governs the power generated by the turbine. With such unpredictable factors having such a great effect, ensure you make the most of any energy that is created whenever possible- You never know when you might need it.
Step 5. Have a backup plan!
As most hydro installations produce varying amounts of power according to the season, it is not usually suitable as a year-round source of energy. Solar photovoltaic energy is a very reliable source although solar systems don’t work at night and you will therefore need to store the energy using the preferred method of batteries. If you then install a small wind turbine, you can be sure to have all weather types covered and have a year round power supply.
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