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The hydrologic and economic feasibility of micro hydropower upfitting and integration of existing low-head dams in the United States

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  • Sandt, Christopher J.
  • Doyle, Martin W.

Abstract

The integration of hydropower facilities on existing low-head, non-Federal dams and their subsequent tie to regional electricity grids may serve as a useful de-centralized component of renewable energy integration in the United States. Thousands of low-head dams do not provide power and thus present few benefits with significant costs, including safety liability, fragmentation of river ecosystems, and persistent economic burden induced on state agencies due to regular inspection requirements. We conducted a feasibility study in the Piedmont region of North Carolina cataloguing over 1000 non-Federal dams with hydraulic head ranging from 4.6m to 10.7m (15ft to 35ft) and power capacity <300kW (“micro” hydropower). Generation potential, greenhouse gas reductions, and financial viability were refined for 49 low-head dams over a 30-year life cycle using industry standard software (RETScreen4). Results suggest that most of these dams are not financially viable for energy production under cost structures evaluated at the time of this study. However, our results indicate that some low-head dams may be viable for energy production if provided funding opportunities comparable to the concurrent wind and solar markets.

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  • Sandt, Christopher J. & Doyle, Martin W., 2013. "The hydrologic and economic feasibility of micro hydropower upfitting and integration of existing low-head dams in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 261-271.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:63:y:2013:i:c:p:261-271
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.08.087
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kosnik, Lea, 2010. "The potential for small scale hydropower development in the US," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5512-5519, October.
    2. Kosnik, Lea, 2008. "The potential of water power in the fight against global warming in the US," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3252-3265, September.
    3. Rehman, Shafiqur & Bader, Maher A. & Al-Moallem, Said A., 2007. "Cost of solar energy generated using PV panels," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 11(8), pages 1843-1857, October.
    4. Bøckman, Thor & Fleten, Stein-Erik & Juliussen, Erik & Langhammer, Håvard J. & Revdal, Ingemar, 2008. "Investment timing and optimal capacity choice for small hydropower projects," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 190(1), pages 255-267, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Patsialis & Ioannis Kougias & Nerantzis Kazakis & Nicolaos Theodossiou & Peter Droege, 2016. "Supporting Renewables’ Penetration in Remote Areas through the Transformation of Non-Powered Dams," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Klein, S.J.W. & Fox, E.L.B., 2022. "A review of small hydropower performance and cost," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    3. Seung Hyo Baek & Byung Hee Lee, 2019. "Optimal Decision-Making of Renewable Energy Systems in Buildings in the Early Design Stage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-19, March.

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    Keywords

    Hydropower; Dams; Feasibility;
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