SMART MINI-IDRO

User Guide

version 01
 SMART Mini-Idro
installation

• 1) in Microsoft Excel go to Instruments/macro/protection and set the value

to “MEDIUM” or “LOW” (with high protection it does not function)

• 2) decompress the zip file containing the Smart Mini-Idro files in one
folder

• 3) open the “SMART Mini-Idro_En.xls” file with Microsoft-Excel

• 4) Click “Solo lettura” - Enable macros in “read mode” only.

2
 SMART Mini-Idro
Software structure

• SMART Mini-Idro "is a toll for

technical and economical
evaluation of mini hydro power
plants
• It is an instrument of knowledge
and support in decisions
• The software can be used to
assess the discharge availability,
choice of technical parameters,
evaluate energy production,
benefits and financial aspects of
mini hydro plants
• Support to the pre-feasibility
project analysis
• To use the programme you must
have Microsoft Excel installed in
your PC
3
 SMART Mini-Idro
Working Modules

Net 1
discharge FDC Design discharge DISCHARGE

Hydraulic 2
Total Head Net Hear
losses TURBINE

3
Power Curve
ENERGY

5
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

4
Plant layout
COSTS

4
SMART Mini-Idro
Module discharge

5
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge – Direct input of the FDC

Direct INPUT of the Flow Duration Curve (FDC): 21 flow values on 21

times (from 0% to 100% with step 5%).

NOTE: The Lombardia Region curve is valid only for the Northern Italy area.

6
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge – Minimum Instream Flow (MIF)

SMART Mini-Idro allows the input of the minimum instream flow MIF (briefly
defined as the minimum amount of water that must be ensured for the preservation
of water bodies and aquatic biotic communities) through:

• DIRECT METHOD: direct input of the known value of the MIF

• PERCENTAGE METHOD: percentage of the average discharge calculated

from the FDC (percentage of a Q mean)

• METHOD of the PO RIVER Basin Authority. Regarding the Italian Law

n.7/2002

7
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge – Minimum Environmental Flow (MIF)

MIF : DIRECT METHOD

8
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge – Minimum Environmental Flow (MIF)

MIF : PERCENTAGE METHOD (% of the Q mean)

9
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge – Minimum Environmental Flow (MIF)

MIF : METHOD of the PO RIVER Basin Authority (calculation according to

the n. 7/02 Italian Law)

10
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge – Net Discharges
For each duration, from 0% to 100%, the following discharges are calculated:
• Q gross: the total discharge, input in the FD
• MIF: regards the value input in the MIF module
• Q net: the net discharge, difference between the Q gross and the MIF

11
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge – Hydropower discharge
Direct input the Design Discharge

12
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Dicharge – Hydropower discharge
Design Discharge, as a percentage of the Flow Duration Curve

13
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge– Utilization Curves

Presentation of the runoff and plant utilization curves

14
SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Turbine

15
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Turbine – Net Head Calculation
The net head is estimated from the gross head considering the continuous and
concentrated head losses
Continue head losses: assessed through the characteristics of the penstock and the design
speed
Concentrated losses: a fraction of the kinetic energy of the flow (α coefficient)

16
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Turbine – Turbine selection
Selection of different types of turbines: Pelton, Turgo, CrossFlow, Francis, Kaplan and
others

For each turbine it is proposed a typical turbine efficiency curve

It is also possible to assign manually the turbine efficiency curve

17
SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy

18
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy – Characteristics of the plant

In this module it is possible to evaluate the power plant and estimate the energy
annual production.
The Energy Module starts with the section "Characteristics of the plant," a brief
summary of the data describing the plant: it is given the name, location, river,
design discharge, gross head and type of turbine.

19
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy – Power

This module calculates the plant power

The turbine efficiency, the local (concentrated) loss and the maximum loss are
calculated in the Turbine Module

1
PMAX [kW] = ⋅ γ ⋅ Q P [m 3 /s] ⋅ H N ⋅ ηTUR (Q P )
1000
20
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy Annual Production

This module determines the power plant energy annual production.

1
8760 1
E ANNUA [MWh] =
1000
⋅ η TOT ⋅ (1 − f ) ⋅ ∫ P(t) ⋅ dt
0
P(t) =
1000
⋅ γ ⋅ Q DER (t) ⋅ H N (Q DER (t)) ⋅ η TUR (Q DER (t))

21
SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Costs

22
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Costs – Investment estimate

The Costs Module has only one section name “Investment estimate“: it aims to
estimate the cost required for the construction of the power plant in all its
components.
Two ways are proposed by the tool:
• Synthetic estimate
• Correlation formulas

23
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Costs – Investment estimate

Formulas Option

in case the user does not have

available the prices of the
individual works, or does not
know the characteristics of the
installation, it is recommended
to use the option “formulas”
(with equations derived from
practical cases)

WARNING:
PARAMETERS ARE
PROPOSED AS DEFAULT
BUT MUST BE VERIFIED
WITH REAL CASES IN THE
TERRITORY

24
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis

25
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis

• The Financial Analysis module is simulating the cash flows for the life of a
plant (30 years), with respect to the expenditures and the energy production of
plant, elaborating and comparing the annual costs and benefits
• You have to input the discount ( bringing up to date) rate, the management &
maintenance costs and the taxes & fees costs

26
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis – Annual benefit

In Italy the selling price of the energy and the incentive instruments are
governed by the market, making it impossible to offer sale prices with equal
validity in the future
The designer must assign the most appropriate energy price per year of
calculation

It is possible to consider also the incomes from Green Certificates for an

assigned period

27
 SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

The latest Financial

Analysis section displays
the cash flow and calculates
the most representative
economic indicators

28
 SMART Mini-Idro

References:

• Lombardia Region, Quaderni Regionali di Ricerca n.33, “Disponibilità ed ottimizzazione nell’uso

della risorsa idrica: Parametri per lo sfruttamento idroelettrico” (1999).

• RETScreen International – Small Hydro Project Analysis, Minister of Natural Resources

Canada, (2001-2004)

• Alterach J. et al. - Ricerca di Sistema, “Valutazione a livello regionale delle risorse idriche
superficiali - Applicazione di procedure di regionalizzazione delle curve di durata delle portate medie
giornaliere nell'area montana dall'Adamello al versante meridionale delle Alpi Orobiche” Rapporto
GEN21/IDRO/WP 4.1 IDROUSI/Task 4.1.2/Milestone 4.1.2.3, 1 (2005)

• Peviani M., Menga R., Garofano E., Grasso F., Stella G.– Ricerca di Sistema “Risultati del
censimento del potenziale mini-idro e realizzazione del sistema informativo territoriale” – Rapporto
CESI RICERCA Prot. 7000595 (2006)

• Alterach J., Brasi O., Flamini B., Peviani M. et al. – Ricerca di Sistema, “Valutazione della
disponibilità idrica e del potenziale di producibilità idroelettrica a scala nazionale e di bacino“ -
Rapporto CESIRICERCA Prot. 7000597 (2006)

•Alessandro Davitti – Engeneering Degree Thesis - “Fattibilità tecnico-economica di impianti mini-

idro: software ed applicazioni”, Politecnico di Milano, Facoltà d’Ingegneria, anno accademico 2006-
2007.

29
 SMART Mini-Idro

Contacts:
Website www.seehydropower.eu

Julio Alterach julio.alterach@rse-web.it

Maximo Peviani maximo.peviani@rse-web.it

30