Customer Reviews

Microhydro: Clean Power from Water

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Not the best book I've read about Microhydro. I read one published in the 70's and it did a much better job explaining how electricity works and the problems associated with making power from water. Through out microhydro he make references to other parts of the book, it was kind of like teasers when you are watching bad tv, "in just a moment we'll find out what's in Al Capone's secret vault". It was like he didn't have enough to say so he kept stretching it out and repeating things he already said. He also kept talking about the case studies at the end of the book. They were not too informative. All and all I just wanted to let people know I was disappointed. This was supposed to be The Book on microhydro and it just didn't measure up . I more recently read a catch all book for wind, water and solar energy and it did a great job. I would recommend "[[ASIN: Power with Nature Second Edition: Alternative Energy Solutions for Homeowners Updated]]"

This really is not the best book on microhydro. An earlier review by Sam C. sums it up nicely. Thoughout the book, the author keeps referring to the case studies, but they're at the back of the book. So do you read the end of the book first? He stretches out simple or obvious points and keeps repeating how microhydro gives more bang-for-the-buck than solar. Some sections were not helpful at all: i.e. I wanted concrete examples of how to control debris. His statement on that is: "See what other people in your neighborhood do to solve this problem." (p.87) Or what about hydroscreens, or other examples of intakes? Nothing... This book was somewhat basic and I was looking for something a little more technical. I'm disappointed. I learned more in the <25 pages on this topic in "The Renewable Energy Handbook" (by Kemp) than this whole book.

This book is a colection of small to tiny hidropower instalations mainly in Canada and gives general details about how the power is generated for isolated houses or cabins.
Does not give you ways to learn how to solve your specific situation, simply is a description of different solutions that can be of general model if you have a similar situation on hand.
If you are looking on how to build a microhydro there are other books that are more suited to the task, if you just want to learn how people have solved their energy problem with hydro generation then you will find it useful.

I have a passing interest in small scale microhydro.I was an electrician and electronics tech in a previous life.

Where this book goes wrong is probably its strong point at the same time. It is written for those that have some training in electronics and electrical engineering. An average Joe would probably not get all of the references in this book, which is ok. Electricity, especially that which could be generated by one of these plants can be fatal. Mucking around with that is just dangerous. I think as a person that has training in this field, this book is still a bit inadequate. Because it attempts to straddle the line of easy to understand and at the same time be technical to the folks that need it, it never quite sits well with the general reader.

Overall its still a pretty good book on the subject, probably not a primer but not useless either.

Thanks for reading my review.

Scott Davis does a wonderful job at explaining every aspect of microhydro. I highly recommend this for teaching or personal use if you are interested in building your own system.

After reading this book, I must say that energy from water is outstanding compared to other alternative sources. I must say also that I am left with a little puzzlement as the book explains things and parts and equipment in terms as if I was a practitioner of the field of study. I have no experience in the subject so some of the terminology and advice made little sense for my understanding. However, I will keep this book for future reference. I found that this book was written with the idea that though water can provide for most of the needed energy for a small household, understanding the greater need of the household employs more than one source of alternative energy. Few water sources can provide for all needs, and the book stressed this in the biginning. I would have liked to have seen colored photos. The black and white photos were shadey and when referred to them for understanding, I was unable to identify the pointed out areas. I must add that though I am not an engineer or a mathmatician and could only understand about 89% of the subject, I am sold on the idea of microhydro power and it's performance. I am willing to try my hand at my own system, with the help of the book and professionals that is.

Very good practical overview of micro-hydro and alternative energy in general for residential users. Basic primer that anyone who is considering installing such a system should read.

This is the single best piece of work I have read on this topic. The book is a perfect balance of technical information and enough real-world examples to keep from putting you to sleep. If you have an interest in setting up a microhydro system, order this now.