Pico Hydro Power

Definition of Pico hydropower

Usually turbines smaller than 10 kW are called "pico". Pico hydro rarely is fed into a power grid, but mostly serves a village or a workshop with electricity. As the terminology of micro/pico/... is not clear please specify power output by numbers where relevant.

Concept of Pico hydropower

Pico hydropower is the only form of small renewable energy production which works continuously without battery storage. Where applicable it is the most cost efficient solution to supply electrical energy. Pico turbines can provide power for small clusters or even single households

Individual hydropower supply cuts out the efforts of organising a community. Identifying, planning and managing takes a higher proportion of the whole installation efforts as smaller a sites becomes. For less consumers  served, specialists have similar efforts in accessing  sites. On the other hand small installation are more likely to be "do it your self".
With guidance by info materials and advise from a local shop consumers could be enabled to install their own pico turbine. If pico hydropower can become an "over the counter" product it meets a immense demand.
One example may be the north of Laos where cheap Chinese pico-turbines flooded the country in ten-thousands or more.

Requirements:

• suitable locations
• accessibility of affordable equipment (turbines) and installation know how

Electricity has a high value so working systems will spread quickly.
In many countries self-made solutions can be found, whereby a wooden water wheel is coupled with a car-alternator to produce electricity. Professional solutions increase efficiency reliability and safety.