Small hydropower technologies – European state-of-the-art innovations

Hydropower is a a clean energy source that has seen scrutiny and opposition in many cases, but hydropower plants, especially small hydropower, can play a decisive part in electrifying regions.

This handbook published in 2020 describes various technical solutions for the small hydropower sector – paying special attention to new technologies – and offers information about the history and application areas of small hydropower. The publication goes through the different hydropower systems, their components, the development process of a small hydropower project, and how to finance it.

It doesn’t aim to compete with classic engineering textbooks on developing hydropower installations and design, construction or exploitation of any of their components, except for the general guidelines on a small hydropower plant development schedule in chapter 4. Instead, the aim of this publication is to offer an overview of the small hydropower related know-how offered by the European industry as well as numerous design and consulting offices and institutions.

The publication is mainly addressed at active and potential small hydropower developers and investors, but also local stakeholders. As some readers may not have an engineering background, the technical information on hydraulic units and their characteristics are completed with the explanation of some fundamental concepts to allow a proper understanding of the content.

Some companies are mentioned in this handbook, but it is not meant to recommend buying equipment only at the mentioned companies.