1. Water: Sustainable and Renewable Power
Gregory Morris PhD, PE
Conference on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing
Denver, 10 November, 2016

2. Sustainable / Renewable Energy
Type
Energy Return on Investment (EROI)
Operating Life, years
Photovoltaic
10 (sunny)
<1? (Germany)
25 ?
Wind 20 25
Hydropower 84
50+
Hall, Charles A.S., Jessica G. Lambert, and Stephen B. Balogh “EROI of Different Fuels and the Implications for Society.” Energy Policy 64 (January): 141–52. doi: /j.enpol
Ferroni, Ferruccio, and Robert J. Hopkirk “Energy Return on Energy Invested (ERoEI) for Photovoltaic Solar Systems in Regions of Moderate Insolation.” Energy Policy 94 (July): 336–44. doi: /j.enpol

3. 9 MW hydro plant La Oroya, Peru
Operating >100 years on original equipment

4. Run-of-River hydropower no storage (except daily peaking)
Capacity Factor = actual annual energy production divided by theoretical production for continuous operation at design power.

5. Monsoon hydrograph – typical throughout Himalayan region

6. Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry (before construction of Glenn Canyon dam)

7. Hydrographs from humid climates are more irregular (Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, PA)

8. Adjust RoR plant design to achieve most economical capacity factor (Río Magunchal, upper Amazon, Peru)

9. Run-of-River hydropower: Adjusting design capacity will change Capacity Factor

10. Sustainable / Renewable Energy
Type
Capacity Factor
Availability
Photovoltaic
10% - 20%
Intermittent
Wind
30%-50%
Hydropower
35%-70%
Dispatchable (with storage)
Capacity Factor = actual annual energy production divided by theoretical production for continuous operation at design power.

11. To average 240 MWh/day of Energy requires:
10 100% capacity factor (technically infeasible)
11 92% capacity factor (2015 avg., USA nuclear)
13 75% capacity factor (RoR hydro, Peruvian Amazon)
20 50% capacity factor (wind, hydro)
67 15% capacity factor (solar PV)

12. With even limited storage, hydropower can guarantee delivery during peak demand, when solar PV and wind cannot.

13. Conowingo RoR hydro dam with daily peaking storage (Susquehanna River)
548 MW, 36% capacity factor

14. Daily storage at RoR Peaking Power plant (548 MW Conowingo HPP)

15. Hydropower as an Investment …1
High capital cost: typically ≈$2million/MW
Potentially longer permitting and construction period
Long equipment life: >50 yrs
Sediment management is a critical issue here
High capacity factor is feasible (>50%)
Can match plant capacity to hydrology to achieve high capacity factor
Multiple factors determine optimum capacity

16. Hydropower as an Investment …2
Small hydro is not subject to dispatch control
“Small” hydro (<20 MW) can typically dispatch all energy that can be produced
Most investment opportunities are in developing countries. Concession terms vary by country:
Nepal: typically about 30 years
Peru: concession does not expire

17. Gregory L. Morris PE Phd gmorris@glmengineers. com www. glmengineers
Gregory L. Morris PE Phd
If you are deeply interested in reservoirs and their long-term sustainability, this technical resource is
Freely Available on the Internet in PDF format
PDF of 748 page book
Reservoir Sedimentation Handbook
McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York