Potential of micro-hydropower generation systems in India

Large-scale hydro-electric power has been used worldwide for a long time to generate huge amounts of power from water stored behind massive dams. Small-scale hydro power has been used for hundreds of years for manufacturing, including milling grain, sawing logs and manufacturing cloth. However, it can also be used without a dam to generate electricity for home scale remote power systems. These socalled micro-hydro installations can be a very good power source, as they produce electricity round the clock. Over the last few decades, there has been a growing realization in developing countries that micro hydro has an important role to play in the economic development of remote rural areas. Micro hydro can provide power for industrial, agricultural and domestic uses through direct mechanical power or by the coupling of the turbine to a generator to produce electricity. This paper deals with the potential of micro hydropower in India and the possibility of generating power in decentralized mode.