Micro-hydro power: the basics

How does it work?

Water from the river is channelled through a settling basin, which helps to remove sediment that
could harm the turbine. The water then flows into the Forebay Tank where it is directed downhill
through a pipe called a penstock. When the water reaches the bottom, it drives a specially
designed turbine to produce the electricity.

Why is it needed?
Of course, every community’s particular needs are different. But in general, access to energy is a
vital stage in the development of remote villages like these.

It can lead to swift and significant improvements in education, sanitation, healthcare and the
overall standard of living. These benefits are achieved both directly - as in the provision of light -
and indirectly - as the time and money that people save is redirected into other projects.

How long will it last?

Micro-hydro systems like these are designed to operate for a minimum of twenty years if they
are properly looked after. That’s why we train local people to build and maintain their own
system. And by making a small charge for use, communities can accumulate enough money to
pay for the replacement of the unit at the end of its useful life.

Once schemes are set up, they should continue to function indefinitely without any more external
funding.

What’s the environmental impact?

Unlike traditional power stations that use fossil fuels, micro-hydro

generators have practically no effect on the environment. And because they don’t depend on
dams to store and direct water, they’re also better for the environment than large-scale hydro-
electric stations.

In fact, by reducing the need to cut down trees for firewood and increasing farming efficiency,
micro-hydro has a positive effect on the local environment.

What does it cost?

Costs are different for every case, and it is impossible to give an accurate figure without knowing
the specifics of the site. From our experience, the cost varies from approximately £1,200 to
£4,000 per installed kW, when using appropriate technologies, which are much cheaper than
using conventional approaches and technolgies.
Microhydro in Kenya
Tungu-Kabri project, Mbuiru
The Tungu-Kabri micro-hydro power project in Kenya is a cheap, sustainable and small-scale
technology that harnesses the energy of falling water to make electricity.

The Tungu-Kabri Micro-hydro Power Project is

the first of its kind in Kenya. Funded by the
United Nations Development Programme and
developed by Practical Action East Africa and the
Kenyan Ministry of Energy, the project benefits
200 households (around 1,000 people) in the
Mbuiru village river community. The project is a
cheap, sustainable and small-scale technology that
harnesses the energy of falling water to make
electricity. It also alleviates the environmental
problems associated with using wood and dung
for cooking, diesel for milling and kerosene for
lighting - and keeps on working, even in the face of drought.

The problem
Life is hard for the women and men in rural Kenya and the need for access to modern, ‘clean’
energy is acute. 96 per cent off Kenyans live without access to grid electricity. In rural homes,
families spend at least a third of their income on kerosene for lighting and diesel for the milling
of grain. Kenyan women also devote a huge amount of time collecting, processing and using
wood and dung for cooking - time which could be spent on child care, education or income
generation.

And according to the UN, in a country where nearly 80 percent of the population rely on farming
for a living, poor farmers face declining yields and incomes in the traditional coffee and tea
growing areas which pushes them into even more biting poverty. Just to survive, they will be
forced to clear forests in higher, cooler, areas. This can only add to environmental damage,
which in turn can lead to increased poverty, hunger and ill health.

Putting the power in people’s hands

Mbuiru village - 200 kilometres north of Nairobi - is a typical rural village in Kenya. It is very
poor, with few opportunities for change. However, villagers in Mbuiru had the will to help
themselves to generate the power to beat drought and poverty.

Step 1 The project site is assessed. Many rivers do keep flowing, however bad the drought.
Practical Action looked at flow records going back 40 years, to ensure the water power project
will work. The River Tubgu, near Mbuiru is perfect.

Step 2 Practical Action explains its intentions at a village meeting. The villagers have many
questions - the only hydro-power people know about means big dams. Practical Action explains
how a small scheme could help them, how it works and how it would belong to all the villagers.
Everyone is eager.

Step 3 Villagers hold back the river and start to build an intake weir and canal, giving up every
Thursday to labour for months. Families work together, digging, shifting stones and laying
concrete. The canal alone takes many weeks to build.

Step 4 Groups of villagers toil to make bays to clean dirt out of the water, and build a tank to
hold the water before it goes through ‘penstock’ pipes into a turbine. People learn to mend as
they build, so they can do repairs themselves.

Step 5 Two years later, power! The powerhouse goes up, in goes the machinery. Now the river
can be released. The villagers hold their breath. It works and all that effort seems worthwhile.

VIDEO: Adam Hart-Davis reports on the impact of the Tungu-Kabri micro-hydro project

Impact on the future

"This power is wonderful’, says villager Mrs Kaburu. ‘All of us will feel the benefit for many
years to come’.
 The project generates an estimated 18 kilowatts of electrical energy. This amount can light 90
homes and Practical Action estimates that the power the system generates will benefit about 200
households.

In the months ahead, the villagers will be able to light their homes, save time and run small
enterprises with this power. This will bring them a little vital money, to help buy clothes, food,
and even schooling for their children. Also, water power also means less wood is used - so the
environment benefits.

Further read
The Andhi Khola Project

Nepal is a small country in the Himalayan Mountains

between India and Tibet. Over recent years, small-scale
hydro schemes have been installed to bring electricity to
rural villages. Hydro schemes are similar to watermills,
except that often they are designed to generate
electricity for grinding grain, cooking and lighting. One
of the areas where electrification is taking place is in
Andhi Khola.

Electricity makes a real difference to people’s lives but,

when it is first available in a village, people need help with
using it safely and efficiently. In particular, people have
questions about:

• how can you use electricity economically?

• what is the best way to use an electric
cooker?
Nepalese woman using an
• is electricity dangerous to use?
electric cooker
A public education campaign is an important part of rural
electrification work.

The villagers from Andhi Khola were involved in

identifying the best methods of communicating key
messages about safe use of electricity to the people in the
region

Pause for thought

Identify a national or local campaign in the UK (eg "Kill Your Speed, Not a Child") and
consider:

• what media were used to communicate the message?

• why do you think these media were chosen?

• who makes the decision about the choice of media in the UK?

Graphic products in Nepal

In the Andhi Khola region, many people do not
read or write in a common language. This means
that instruction leaflets and booklets are not
appropriate to the majority of people. It was
important to find ways of communicating key
messages that would be understood easily.

It was decided that a number of different media

were necessary to communicate key messages.
Street theatre performances in the locality were
held when people were not at work, teaching
about the use and safety of electricity.

The key messages of the campaign were:

• safety in the house

• safety outside the house
• end uses of electricity

Starting the day after theatre performances, trainers would call at people’s homes with a set of
materials for the trainers to refer to during home visits. The materials were flash cards to
stimulate discussion about key safety messages. A number of posters were also developed which
would be left behind in peoples’ homes and displayed in public places.

Pause for thought

In the UK, pictorial signs and symbols are often used to

communicate information.

Identify a range of graphical products in the UK that

communicate messages of safety or efficiency and consider:

• Do they meet the needs of the users?

Do you think the media of communication used in Andhi Khola

is appropriate?

You may wish to use these as starting points:

• are the messages clear?

• does in encourage audience participation?
• is it easy to use?

What other points do you need to consider?

Task
In Nepal, flash cards are used to teach rural communities about safe use of electricity.
This type of graphic product can be used throughout the world for public education
campaigns.

Design a graphic product pack to support a public education campaign in the UK. The pack
must be portable and should encourage participation by the audience.