How much water do I need?
For our hydropower solution you’ll need a river or a large stream. You’ll need to ensure you have rights to the riverbanks too.
How much depends on the location. At the moment we’re focusing on customers who’ve got a weir (waterfall or a sharp change in height/drop of the flow). Old mills are perfect - if there was enough power to run grinding stones, then there should be more than enough for our turbine! If in doubt - you can send us some photos and we’ll let you know.
Will I have to wait years?
All other hydropower solutions for properties like old mills require Environment Agency licenses. Aside from costing over £15,000, these licences can take 4-5 years to get assessed.
The Environment Agency recognises the minimal ecological impact of our solution and has confirmed our customers do not require an abstraction, impoundment or transfer license. There is a flood permit that is required, but only takes a couple of months to process. We handle this application and cover the costs within the deposit. Once the permit is in place installation can be within weeks.
We estimate that from placing a deposit, the unit will be installed generating electricity within 4 months.
Does it cost a fortune?
Other options for low-head hydropower typically cost upwards of £250,000.
Our solution is a small fraction of this fully installed!
A small deposit of £2,000 kicks off the process.
Can you install it in all locations?
Our turbine is around 1m wide so the channel should be at least this width. We will also need access to the location with our vehicles and access to the water will need to be safe. But we will review location info with you as part of the sales process if you’re unsure.