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Potential Energy
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Case Studies
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“There are loads of experts who have come here and told me that I need to install a hydro plant. You came here and told me the different ways that I could do it, and asked what I wanted!”
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Case Study
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Alhampton Mill Project
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| Harness river’s energy potential, reliability, minimal maintenance, avoid debris accumulation, protect fish and wildlife. |
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| Head 2.75m, Flow 0.6 m3/sec, Power 12 kW |
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The banks of the river Alham are tree lined, producing large volumes of debris such as logs and leaves. An Archimedes screw turbine was chosen as the site is away from the mill house, and so the turbine needs to be reliable and minimal maintenance. The screw allows fish and much of the debris to simply pass through, removing the need for protective screens and associated cleaning equipment. Tree roots had caused considerable structural damage to the river bank and historic mill infrastructure, and so a major rebuilding project was undertaken during which the foundations for the screw turbine were installed.
The installation has been producing more power than expected since the installation was completed. |
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Case Study
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Hewletts Mill Project
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| Hydro power with minimum investment while observing the properties Grade II listing. |
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| Head 4.0m, Flow 0.1 m?/sec, Power 2.8 kW |
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| Many people have found the cost of hydro power prohibitively expensive, despite the return on investment being considerably greater than most alternative investments. At Hewletts Mill, the brief was to get the maximum return for the least investment, while also respecting the special nature of the historic mill and it surroundings. By installing a water wheel, the garden has gained a superb focal point which heats the house in winter, and has eliminated huge swimming pool heating costs in summer. Energy bills have been slashed, and the visual and financial worth of the property enhanced. |
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Case Study
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Fonthill Lake Project
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| Revenue generation for the estate, little visual intrusion, minimal maintenance, protect fish and wildlife. |
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| Head 7.0 m, Flow 0.4 m?/sec, Power 20 kW |
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| The Fonthill lake is a beautiful setting gathering water from winter bournes and springs on the chalk downland. Waterwheels at the site have been used to pump water to the reservoir on the estate, but in past years this function has been performed by electric pumps. This scheme allows the pumps to run on power from a sustainable source, as well as providing income from sale of power to the grid. |
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Case Study
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Bindon Mill Project
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| Run estate properties on sustainable power, generate an income for the estate, add an asset to the historic mill without visual intrusion. |
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| Head 1.2 m, Flow 2.1 m?/sec, Power 20 kW |
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| Bindon Mill is an historic site on the Lulworth Castle estate. An Armfield turbine was installed in the mill in the early 20th century, but its operation was noisy and causing disturbance in the newly converted mill, and so a new solution was sought. An Archimedes screw provides a quieter as well as visually attractive and more efficient alternative just to the north of the mill. |
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