Abstract:
Energy need is a primary requirement of our society. Many interests and
concerns turn around this matter. It includes policy, economy, environment,
etc... Renewable energy is considered to be a good alternative from fossil
sources and nuclear power. Renewable sources are known as “green” because
of the low impact on the Earth equilibriums. Furthermore they are not
exhaustible because they utilize the ecosystem cycles. Hydroelectricity is an
established technology. In most of the industrialized countries large scale
hydropower has been widely exploited, but there are possibilities of growth for
mini-hydro schemes. In developing countries the unexploited potential is
considered to be bigger. This thesis details an analysis into various aspects of
hydropower, in particular it deals with micro-hydro and pico-hydro applications.
A literature review about existing plants is presented; a few cases are shown in
which pico hydro plants are used for the electrification of remote communities in
developing countries. A feasibility study has been carried out for a hydroelectric
installation on the Arno river (Italy). Three different solutions have been
proposed for the realization of the scheme. One of them is a pico hydro
installation. Hypothetical benefits from the plant realization have been
evaluated, together with the scenario in which this plant would operate.
