Mapping the potential energy of micro-hydroelectric power in Limboto watershed

Abstract

The use of river water flow energy for electricity generation has been widely developed to meet the electricity needs of the community. Reality in the field indicates that most of the micro-hydro power plants that are built in the river flow cannot be relied upon to meet the electrical energy needs of the community, especially in remote areas. Many micro-hydro plants cannot operate for a long time and even have a damaged condition. This is because the construction of the power plant has not gone through the proper planning and assessment process of the potential of the river flow energy to be able to operate the power plant continuously. This study aims to find out the potential of the perennial river flow energy through the hydrological modeling technique. The energy of the perennial river flow can be approached due to the amount of rain discharge in the catchment area and the components of the watershed system that affect the water flow. To determine the value of river discharges, it is carried out through the analysis of the dependable flow of the river. The results showed that the electrical energy that can be produced in Alo River is 192.55 KW, in Bionga River is 136.45 KW, in Batulayar River is 408.67 KW, in Marisa River is 147.44 KW, and in Talumelito River is 81.22 KW.