doing it yourself

Microhydro energy systems can be installed by homeowners themselves provided they are mechanically inclined and have a solid grounding (bad pun alert) in electrical systems. However, even if you have the aptitude to install your own microhydro system there are a couple of good reasons you may want to consider having your local certified contractor do it for you.

To begin with many municipalities and counties require the person installing your system to be a locally licensed electrician, particularly if you are going with a system which connects to the electrical grid. Utility operators as well may, in some states, require you to be licensed before they will let you do the tie-in. Similarly, since piping is always called for some states and localities may have similar provisions regarding the laying of the penstock systems and may require state or county certified plumbers to do that part of the installation.

Water turbine systems are also fairly sophisticated electrical systems. Often local electrical contractors have to get support from other contractors who specialize in microhydro energy before installing a system. Microhydro contractors have often been specifically trained by the manufacturer in the installation of particular brands of water turbines or inverter systems which gives them a unique advantage.

Another factor to consider is the laying of the penstock or piping.  If you live in a fairly cold climate you are probably going to have to bury your piping.  If you have a significant length of pipe to run then that is going to probably require significant digging.  In most cases it is going to make sense to bring in a contractor with a backhoe to do this for you rather than try to do it by hand, particularly if your soil is rocky. .

One option you may want to consider if you are planning on doing it yourself is to purchase one of the many pre-packaged water turbine kits now available which include all of the components of a system such as the water intake, the water turbine, inverters and control systems. These systems take away much of the guesswork of mixing and matching components and ensure that the components you pick will go together effectively. There are a lot of great resources and war stories available written by homeowners who have installed their own systems which can be invaluable in helping you avoid pitfalls in doing it yourself. Look in the EB Resources sections for books and magazines which provide just this type of information. .