Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
Practices
- Energy: general energy
Proposal summary:
This project is intended to develop hydro-electric power from small streams on the family farm. All of this clean source of electricity will be used to power farm production as well as the household. The use of small scale hydro-electric power addresses the problem of rising energy costs, pollution, and lack of access to electrical power in remote areas. Small scale hydro-electric power is a cost effective, economical way to produce power. A $6,000 investment is expected to save $125 per month on a $300 per month electric bill. This money would be recouped in four years followed by an income poetential of $125 per month or more. Currently the public power district requires approximately $8,000 per mile to connect to the existing power grid in addition to a per kilowatt hour usage fee. In remote and rural areas, hydro-electric power sources could be an alternative to this high start-up and ongoing cost. I plan to use a natural spring-fed creek water supply and gravity from an existing waterfall to power the turbine. This turbine will produce electrical power for the farmstead. Excess power will be hooked to the power grid and sold to the public power district. This will provide some income and reduce my cost to use or store excess power. Small scale power units reduce transfer costs. This benefits the farmer/rancher directly rather than the large corporations. Electrical power will be generated from exisitng small streams on the property that are not readily accessible to livestock for a watering source due to land terrain. Hydro-electric power is also a clean energy source that is going to reduce air pollution and the need for non-renewable fossil fuels. Needless to say, this will benefit not only this generation, but generations to come.