Off the Grid With Karen and Grid: Micro Hydro...When it Rains it Roars

When our dynamic duo have more rain than sun, they open a valve and flip a circuit breaker, switching their energy supply from solar panels to a micro-hydro system.
   
Sometimes, it rains a lot. Enough to spin up their turbine by late Fall, and keep it going until mid-Spring.
   
Sometimes, it's a dry year. But there's always been enough water to take over when the winter sun sinks low in the sky and trees shade the PV array,
   
In this episode, Grid explains how a small system like theirs is built from an existing water supply.

Nerd Nuggets:
    -Supplier: APM Hydro, Grants Pass, OR.
    -Materiels:
         2" schedule 40 PVC pipe
         2" brass gate valves
         6 Ga copper wire, stranded
         1/2 inch PVC conduit
         Tristar  T-15 45 controller
         Amp meter
         Heat dump (28.5V diversion unit, DL-23, 855 watts)
         Breaker panel (2@15 amp)
         2" pressure hose
         2 quick couplings    
         24-volt Micro-hydro assembly (1800 PM alternator, custom)
Note: Wired to existing 24-volt battery bank

         


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