Anyone powering thier homes or seen any powered with Water? I live on a river and was thinking. If I had some kind of hydro powered generator down there. I could cut my power bill out. My electrice averages probably 275/ month. I live about 600 ft from the river.
Hydro power.
- Thread starter Lagrue
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ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
A great site
Otherpower dot com.
Otherpower dot com.
HUSKYMAN
Addicted to ArboristSite
Good luck getting the state to allow you to use the river, if they are anything like Michigan that is.
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
I would not even ask the state..
Plead Ignorance..
Plead Ignorance..
fireman31
ArboristSite Member
It's often easier to ask for forgivness than permission.
I find in such circumstances that is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission!!
I find in such circumstances that is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission!!
mga
wandering
the problem would be turning the generator fast enough. most operate at high RPM's.
JackD_ME
ArboristSite Operative
I often think about the same thing but my deed gives me "third water rights" which means I can use the water as long as I don't dam it up.
I thought that using a float system/paddle wheel would work best here since the town controls the small dam upstream.
I thought that using a float system/paddle wheel would work best here since the town controls the small dam upstream.
jdboy9
ArboristSite Operative
I don't know what kind of voltage you plan to run also but 600 foot you will need some big big big wire to run.
For instance I'm thinking at around 240v if you were running 60 amps you would need a copper wire around 2/0 but that's also at 240v.
For instance I'm thinking at around 240v if you were running 60 amps you would need a copper wire around 2/0 but that's also at 240v.
I will admit. I am pretty much a dunce, when it comes to electric. The river I live on is a fairly large, swift river. Its no small creek. There is already and old damn in the river , from an old civil war era grist mill. The old concrete wheell is still in the water down there. Its just a thought, may not be feasable.
The idea always sounds good at first, but the cost [and complying with rules & regs] will for most people make it not worth it. It's sad too, everyone talks about "alternative energy" but when someone wants to do it, they throw so many roadblocks and fees at you, most just say the heck with it.
chainsawaddict
ArboristSite Guru
600 ft of copper would be expensive.
Ive been looking at wind power and have about the same utility as you. Do you want you $275 to keep going to the electric co. or would you rather have it go to the bank to pay for you hydro setup:bang:
Ive been looking at wind power and have about the same utility as you. Do you want you $275 to keep going to the electric co. or would you rather have it go to the bank to pay for you hydro setup:bang:
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
It can be done with alumium too.
Can even be done overhead. Sure copper is more efficient.. But it comes with a mighty high price tag currently.
Can even be done overhead. Sure copper is more efficient.. But it comes with a mighty high price tag currently.
ents
ArboristSite Guru
The ampair uw turbine http://www.absak.com/catalog/default.php/cPath/33_89_90
is what I was going to use. Needs at least 5 knots to run and is a bit pricey. D.C. current so you will need an inverter and still face xporting the pwr. to your site.
There are a ton of forums/alternative energy sites out there. Seek and you shall find. I'm sure those sites can answer your ques. and provide solutions.
Have fun with it,
is what I was going to use. Needs at least 5 knots to run and is a bit pricey. D.C. current so you will need an inverter and still face xporting the pwr. to your site.
There are a ton of forums/alternative energy sites out there. Seek and you shall find. I'm sure those sites can answer your ques. and provide solutions.
Have fun with it,
HUSKYMAN
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have a small creek on my property but its not dependable enough to get power from.
I fully plan on buying one of the 10kw windmills in a few years, but at 35k they are just too expensive right now.
I fully plan on buying one of the 10kw windmills in a few years, but at 35k they are just too expensive right now.
windthrown
361 Junkie
Yah, AL is cheaper than CU. Compare 250-XHHW-AL to the nearly equivalent 3/0-XHHW-CU; $1.62 a foot for AL vs $3.45 a foot for CU (Dale Electric prices). Both have about a 230 amp rating.
We bought 3 x 620 ft. spools of MCM 250-XHHW-2 AL wire here for running a line off the house to the barn. I have them up for sale on Craigslist, for $2,000. The sheetrock guy cut the rope line that they put in the buried conduit... complete moron. He cut it to fit the sheetrock around the electric panels. I wanted to go after his license and make them fix it and run a new line. The GF refused, after some goon there convinced her it was easy to run a new line... I said if it is that easy, why do they not do it??? Oh, well... it um, well... I said...
So the barn stays on its own independant circuit and we gave up in the idea of runnig it off the house to save the monthly charge to have a separate electric service.
We bought 3 x 620 ft. spools of MCM 250-XHHW-2 AL wire here for running a line off the house to the barn. I have them up for sale on Craigslist, for $2,000. The sheetrock guy cut the rope line that they put in the buried conduit... complete moron. He cut it to fit the sheetrock around the electric panels. I wanted to go after his license and make them fix it and run a new line. The GF refused, after some goon there convinced her it was easy to run a new line... I said if it is that easy, why do they not do it??? Oh, well... it um, well... I said...
So the barn stays on its own independant circuit and we gave up in the idea of runnig it off the house to save the monthly charge to have a separate electric service.
oneoldbanjo
Addicted to ArboristSite
For most turbine applications you need lots of elevation difference to build up pressure - a stream or river won't help much unless you can divert it to a much lower area. Using a flowing river or stream at the natural stream bed elevation would not be very effective - even the old grain mills needed large overslung wheels that could hold hundreds of pounds of water for a 10 - 15 foot drop and they would rechannel and dam up the stream to get the needed water supply.
Cowboy Billy
ArboristSite Operative
Windthrown I worked for a electriction occasionally after I got out of high school. If I rember right he made a ball with duck tape on the end of a string line. And blew that through the conduit with a air compressor then pulled the wires with that. Using the heaver cables you would probably have to pull a rope with the string and then the rope to pull the cable.
Huskyman I have one 600 watt wind generator that I am going to setup and see how it works out. If it does good I plan on making a mini wind farm with several wind generators to get the power I want. This way I can start small and add to it as I get money.
Huskyman I have one 600 watt wind generator that I am going to setup and see how it works out. If it does good I plan on making a mini wind farm with several wind generators to get the power I want. This way I can start small and add to it as I get money.
ktm rider
ArboristSite Guru
I have researched this extensively and I am going to pull the trigger on this project sometime this summer, hopefully.
You DO NOT need an excessive amount of head. (elevation) You do need to pick your turbine wisely and in accordance to your site. Have you done any measurements yet? if not, this really should be the first thing you do.
Anyhoo, once you have your measurements, this formula will give you a basic idea of the power you can generate. ( Flow X Head / 9 = watts)
You don't need to dam up the creek, you are just diverting some or all of the flow. In your situation however, being you are going to use a river, of couse it would be a bit different. There are low head turbines out there but I haven't looked into them very much since I would not be using one...
If you could just get a few feet of head and a large volume of water, you very well could be making some good power.
This is BY FAR the cheapest way to make power. Wind turbines only work when the wind is blowing and solar only works when the sun is shining. Water runs 24/7 and the initial investment is much less...
www.otherpower.com
www.microhydropower.com
www.homepower.ca
You DO NOT need an excessive amount of head. (elevation) You do need to pick your turbine wisely and in accordance to your site. Have you done any measurements yet? if not, this really should be the first thing you do.
Anyhoo, once you have your measurements, this formula will give you a basic idea of the power you can generate. ( Flow X Head / 9 = watts)
You don't need to dam up the creek, you are just diverting some or all of the flow. In your situation however, being you are going to use a river, of couse it would be a bit different. There are low head turbines out there but I haven't looked into them very much since I would not be using one...
If you could just get a few feet of head and a large volume of water, you very well could be making some good power.
This is BY FAR the cheapest way to make power. Wind turbines only work when the wind is blowing and solar only works when the sun is shining. Water runs 24/7 and the initial investment is much less...
www.otherpower.com
www.microhydropower.com
www.homepower.ca
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