Abstract
The most favorable renewable energy production method is hydropower, including the small-scale plants. The main parameters that need to be determined in small-scale hydropower plants (SHPs) are the installed capacity and the cost, which are affected by the design flow, net head, turbines, tunnels, canals, penstocks, and other variables. All of these variables are analyzed in the pre-feasibility studies in order to find the optimum installed capacity and the cost of the plant. RETScreen is a computer program capable of estimating the amount of the energy to be generated and the investment and maintenance costs for small-scale hydropower projects. In this article, the pre-feasibility studies of nine SHPs were obtained from State Hydraulic Works of Turkey and compared with the results computed by using RETScreen. RETScreen was found to be capable of assessing pre-feasibility studies of SHPs in Turkey within a relatively short period compared with traditional methods. Therefore, alternatives can be studied with ease without extensive calculations, which will help designers save time and money.
References
Alonso-Tristán, C.; González-Peña, D.; Díez-Mediavilla, M.; Rodríguez-Amigo, M.; & García-Calderón, T., 2011. Small Hydropower Plants in Spain: A Case Study.
Balat, H., 2007. A Renewable Perspective for Sustainable Energy Development in Turkey: The Case of Small Hydropower Plants.
Connolly, D.; Lund, H.; Mathiesen, B.V.; & Leahy, M., 2010. A Review of Computer Tools for Analysing the Integration of Renewable Energy Into Various Energy Systems.
