Articles

ESHA regularly produces articles for the International Press, please find the latest ones below:

Keeping it clean-Environmental integration of small hydropower

Download the Article. Published in the Renewable Energy World. July-August 2006.

As an energy source, small hydro has few apparent social or environmental consequences, however in order to ensure that the impacts it does have are kept to a minimum there are a series of measures which can be implemented to improve its efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint. By Bernhard Pelikan, Luigi Papetti and Maria Laguna.

European Renewable Energy Review 2006: Small Hydro Overview of The European Sector.

Download the Article. Published in European Renewable Energy Review 2006. www.touchrenewables.com. Septermber 2006

By Maria Laguna, ESHA Project Manager

Hidroenergia 2006 Report: Small hydro challenges & advances discussed in Crieff

Download the article. Published in Hydropower and Dams. August 2006

SHP policy, technology and environmental aspects were debated for two days inCrieff, Scotland, at Hidroenergia 2006, co-hosted by the European Small Hydropower Association and the British Hydropower Association. About 250 participants attended, representing 34 countries.

Flowing to the East: Small hydropower in developing countries

Download the Article. Published in REW Jan-Feb 2006

While the growth of small hydro has slowed in Europe, things look very different in Asia. The region accounts for two-thirds of the world’s hydro capacity, and far from slowing down, it is enjoying robust growth.

Simon Taylor, Drona Upadhyay and Maria Laguna write this review. 

European cooperation on a new planning approach for small hydro

Download the Article. Published in Hydropower and Dams. October 2005

A complex institutional framework guides the development of small hydro in Europe. The European Directives for the promotion of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and the Water Framework Directive(WFD) do not simplify things, with objectives which could seem contradictory, depending on the strictness of implementation of the WFD. In this context, the SPLASH project, co-financed by the European Commission’s Intelligent Energy for Europe programme, proposes an original approach via the development of local plans for small hydropower development.

M. Laguna, European Small Hydropower Association, E. Huard, IED, France and M. Cahn, Energies Cités, Poland report.

Small Hydropower has much to offer. The situation in the New Members States and Candidate Countries

Download the article. Published  in the Renewable Energy World September 2005 

Small hydropower has considerable potential for electricity generation in Europe. Petras Punys and Maria Laguna report on a recent survey of small plants in the European Union’s new Member States and thosewishing to join

Runaway Potential: Small Hydro in Europe and beyond

Download the Article. Published  in the Renewable Energy World July 2005 

While big hydropower has fallen out of favour due to social and environmental costs, small hydro is a resource waiting to be tapped. Clean and reliable, it has few of the environmental consequences of large hydro, and there is still plenty of potential out there. Christine Lins and Maria Laguna report.

SHP Engineering: A new Approach and a key for the Future?

Download the Article. Published in The International Journal on Hydropower and Dams. Issue 3, 2005

In the past, engineering processes relating to small hydro have not been a simple or trivial job, but have mainly been driven by achieving economic targets and solving technical problems. At least for some 20 years the continuously increasing demands, predominantly based on ecological restrictions, have shown that the old-fashioned strategy is no longer appropriate. New challenges require new approaches, in terms of design, procedures, concepts, ownership and identity. Finding a new approach sometimes only needs critical consideration of concepts, which are taken for granted. One must feel free to cross borders of competence and tradition, but never forgetting that the final target is the further exploitation of hydropower. This Article is based on a keynote address presented by Bernhard Pelikan at Hydropower 2005 in Stavanger.

An integrated approach to SHP development: from R&D to market deployment

Download the Article. Published in The International Journal on Hydropower and Dams. Issue 3, 2005

Drawing on experience of France, a leading European country for small hydropower development and potential, the author reviews approaches to integrated planning and promotion of SHP, from R&D to enhancing public awareness. This article is based on a paper being presented by Philippe Beutin (Ademe) at a Small Hydropower Workshop hosted by ESHA in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Sustainable markets for SHP in developing Countries

Download the Article. Published in The International Journal on Hydropower and Dams. Issue 3, 2005

This article analyses the current situation of SHP internationally, mainly concentrating on the mini hydro range, and factors which will allow the European SHP industry to participate in the market in developing countries. The emphasis of the paper is on seeking sustainable markets for SHP in developing countries.This article is based on a paper being presented by D.Upadhyay (ITPower ,UK).

Small Hydropower In New Member States and Candidate Countries

Download the Article. Published in EU Power Magazine, January 2005

This article presents the results of study carried out by the LHA (Lithuanian Hydropower Association) and ESHA (European Small Hydropower Association) within the framework of a EU-funded project: The Thematic Network on Small Hydropower (TNSHP). This article gives an overview of the Small Hydropower Sector in New EU Members States and Accession Countries. Petras Punys and Maria Laguna report.

Development of Small Hydro Power

Download the Article. Published in UNESCO Renewable Energy Magazine, December 2004

Examining the potential of small hydropower plants. By Christine Lins and Maria Laguna.

Tapping Small Hydropower Potential

Download the Article. Published in the Renewable Energy World, July 2004.

Small hydropower is a clean, sustainable, efficient and secure renewable energy source, combining the advantages of hydropower with those of decentralized power generation, but without the disadvantages of large-scale installations. Christine Lins and Maria Laguna make the case for SHP.

Increasing Small Hydropower Public Acceptance

Download the Article. Published in Hydro 2003 Conference Proceedings.

This paper aims at explaining how cross-border and co-ordinated actions, in which different players have the opportunity to act and react, contribute very positively to the increase of public awareness and acceptance of small hydro power schemes. Gema San Bruno and Christine Lins report.