Small Hydropower Systems Factsheet

If you’re considering building a small hydropower system on water flowing through your property, you have a long tradition from which to draw your inspiration. Two thousand years ago, the Greeks learned to harness the power of running water to turn the massive wheels that rotated the shafts of their wheat flour grinders. And in the hydropower heyday of the 18th century, thousands of towns and cities worldwide were located around small hydropower sites.

Today, small hydropower projects offer emissions-free power solutions for many remote communities throughout the world—such as those in Nepal, India, China, and Peru—as well as for highly industrialized countries, like the United States.

This fact sheet will help you determine whether a small hydropower system will work for your power needs and whether your location is right for hydropower technology. It will also explain the basic system components, the need for permits and water rights, and how you might be able to sell the excess electricity you generate.

Factsheet date: July 2001