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ENERGY : Power Supply

Few hydro schemes of less than 100 kilowatts are economically attractive if national electricity supplies are available nearby. An exception occurs if the civil works (intake, pipeline and powerhouse) of an earlier scheme already exist. Replacement of the generating equipment may see a successful small project take off.

Larger schemes are usually connected to the national grid. This allows the use of all power, no matter when the electricity is generated. The price paid for the electricity may differ between day and night, weekday or weekend due to varying public demand.

Run-of-river schemes do not include energy storage, hence power is generated according to the natural flow in the river. The economic disadvantage of not matching consumer needs must be weighed up against the cost of either incorporating dams and reservoirs into individual hydro schemes, or relying on pumped-storage hydro schemes.