Renewable Energy for Developing Countries
Pico Hydro Projects
Pico-Hydro Market Introduction Program1 kW installed capacity: Pico Hydro, the smallest Hydro Power technology, is the first choice electricity source for off-grid mountainous areas. It is reliable, easy to maintain, and delivers, once it is installed, 24 hrs of electricity at virtually zero running cost. On a life-cycle basis Pico Hydro is already much cheaper than for example a Diesel generation set, not even taking external cost into account.
However, Pico Hydro suffers from cost-driving site-specific design, inefficient production due to its current small-scale application, limited opportunities for rural purchasers to exploit the life-cycle cost benefits and little consumer awareness in general.
RforD wants to overcome these obstacles by developing a high quality but low price standard model manufactured in larger quantities. Dissemination, a core aspect of the RforD concept, is handled by the RforD focal point multiplication network. This ensures consumer awareness by demonstrating the spectrum of benefits, offers them financing options tailored to their spending patterns and provides technical assistance during setup and over the whole Pico stations’ lifetime.