The Genius of Small Hydro Turbines
The Genius of Bladeless Vortex Hydropower. Hydropower is a great source of energy that doesn’t suffer the same intermittency problems as other renewables. But dams fail. A lot. About 95% of the existing hydropower systems in the States were built before 1995, and over half operate using equipment designed over 80 years ago. This aging infrastructure can be not only unreliable, but dangerous to local populations, human and animal alike. That said, hydropower doesn’t always have to be postcard-perfect or 67 stories high. It actually has a lot of room for growth…possibly by shrinking. That’s because small hydropower (or SHP) has the potential to literally usher in a new generation. Several companies are working toward integrating hydroelectric turbines on a smaller scale and with a smaller ecological footprint. Between new designs like Vortex Hydrokinetics’ bladeless turbine and Turbulent’s snail-shaped “fish-friendly” system (say that 10 times fast), there’s plenty of opportunity to take advantage of rivers without having to worry about the safety of ourselves or our scaly friends.