Small and Micro-Hydropower Plants Location by Using Geographic Information System

Small-scale hydropower plants (SHP), and in particular the micro-hydropower plants (MHP) and pico-hydropower plants (PHP), are considering as an alternative energy resource based on the hydroelectric potential available in urban water cycle because of the excess of pressure existing in some urban water supply systems (WSS). Nowadays, pressure-reducing valves are necessary to reduce water pressure in WSS, so the use of a pump as turbine (PAT) can be considered as a proper way for reaching both an enough water head reduction and a hydropower generation possibility (self-consumption or energy recovery). MHPs are based on existing hydraulic resources where the PAT location is necessary, especially in those points with an excess of energy, which derives in an extra cost in terms of conservation and maintenance of the infrastructure or lead to the necessary installation of dissipation devices. The locations of these points are strongly influenced by the geographical and hydrological conditions, so a Geographic Information System (GIS) is a very useful tool for implementation of SHP and MHP or PHP projects. This paper describes the assessment and comparison of the methodology followed in the SHP and MHP locations: necessary data, GIS development, hydrologic model and hydropower potential