Small-scale hydro power is a proven and mature technology.  Reliable and efficient equipment and sound advice is available from a range of experienced suppliers and manufacturers in the UK and worldwide.

The term ‘supplier’ covers any company which will sell you equipment for your scheme.  They may also be the manufacturer, or they may be the agent for imported equipment. 

Many turbine manufacturers will also offer to supply the full equipment package including the gearbox, generator, control panel, trashrack, sluice gate, etc.  which they will assemble from their preferred sub-contractors.

The BHA maintains a database of UK equipment suppliers .  Other useful web-sites for locating national and international suppliers are:

The International Journal of Hydropower and Dams

James and James Publishers

Suppliers are usually willing to provide a ‘budget quote’ for the equipment for your scheme, based on limited information, in order to help you identify whether their equipment is appropriate and affordable without wasting excessive effort. 

The minimum information they would need to respond to an enquiry would be the design head and flow.  Additional useful information to include in such a request would be:

·          Scheme location

·          Length and diameter of penstock

·          Flow Duration Curve and compensation flow

·          Type of turbine required (if already known)

·          Any unusual constraints of the site e.g. environmental sensitivities