Energy mass balanceCostingHydro

Small and micro hydropower plant (Pelton / Turgo / crossflow)

Run-of-river impulse hydro from 50 kW to 10 MW: flow-duration curve with residual flow, design flow from installed kW, part-load turbine efficiency, annual energy, ORNL CAPEX scaling law, O&M and LCOE in EUR 2014.

Open Jack

Founder · OpenJack

Add to project

CurrencyEUR 2014
Battery limitinstalled
88 documented assumptions
Updated27 Oct 2026

Mass and energy balance

What the asset draws and delivers for the case and load you choose.

Reference case

Mean stream flow at the intake

m3/s

Long-term mean flow at the intake, from gauging or a regional study. It scales the flow-duration curve below. The 0.45 m3/s default is an illustrative mountain stream, not a site.

Flows

Annual quantities at the current usage. Band width: share of energy in; non-energy flows are not to scale.

Installed capacity

Rated electrical output at the generator terminals (RETScreen eq. 10). Design flow follows from it, the gross head and the design-point losses. 50 kW to 10 MW: below 50 kW (pico and the smallest micro plants) the cost law still applies down to 10 kW but the LCOE leaves any published range. A capacity the stream cannot deliver at its peak flow, even without losses, is refused.

Design flow: — m3/s
Average electrical output: — MW
Annual energy delivered: — MWh/year
Capacity factor: — %

CAPEX

Specific cost at this size, what backs it, and how it behaves with scale.

Specific CAPEX at this size

—

Reference size 1,630 kW

ORNL/TM-2015/471 Eq. 3

CAPEX source

Model value: the reference case, scaled to the capacity with the ORNL exponent 0.81 from its 1,630 kW sample mean. Customized: the value below is used as entered at every capacity, with no scaling, and is no longer a sourced figure. O&M is then 2.5 % of it per year.

Specific CAPEX, scaled or customized by installed capacity

Ex-factory
Installed· this figure
Fully financed

CAPEX at the battery limit—

Working capital, contingencyproject level

Included

Equipment
Installation, civil works and engineering

Not included

Working capital
Contingency

Added at project level

Working capital layer, from the project settings
Contingency, from the project settings

Project figures

Values passed to project mode when this asset is added to a project.

Small and micro hydropower plant (impulse turbine)Concept sketch, not to scale · drag to rotate

Electricity (net) outMain product: —
CAPEX to the battery limit: —
Fixed O&M: —
Variable O&M, excluding feedstocks: 0 EUR/year
Asset lifetime: 30 years

Levelised cost of electricity

A standalone indicator for a quick read. Project mode recomputes it for the whole system.

—

Capital component of the LCOE—
O&M component of the LCOE—

Linked to the balance above

Mean stream flow at the intake

m3/s

Long-term mean flow at the intake, from gauging or a regional study. It scales the flow-duration curve below. The 0.45 m3/s default is an illustrative mountain stream, not a site.

Turbine type

Impulse turbine family. It sets the best efficiency (ESHA 2004 Table 6.7: Pelton multi-jet 0.90, single jet 0.89, Turgo 0.85; crossflow 0.79 from the RETScreen curve) and the part-load behaviour. The calculator flags a head outside the ESHA range of the selected type; it does not switch type for you.

Gross head

Level difference between intake water surface and the runner (impulse turbines sit above tailwater, so the tailrace effect of RETScreen eq. 9 is ignored). 20 to 550 m stays inside the ORNL cost-model range (1.5 to 563 m).

FDC flow exceeded 0 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 0 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 5 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 5 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 10 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 10 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 15 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 15 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 20 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 20 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 25 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 25 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 30 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 30 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 35 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 35 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 40 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 40 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 45 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 45 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 50 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 50 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 55 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 55 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 60 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 60 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 65 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 65 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 70 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 70 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 75 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 75 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 80 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 80 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 85 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 85 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 90 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 90 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 95 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 95 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

FDC flow exceeded 100 % of the time

% of mean

Flow-duration curve, flow exceeded 100 % of the time, in % of the mean flow. The 21 points (0 to 100 % in 5 % steps, RETScreen §2.1.1) are rescaled so that their trapezoidal mean is exactly the mean flow above. Must not increase from one point to the next. The default shape is an illustrative snow- and rain-fed mountain stream; replace it with your gauged curve.

Residual (reserved) flow

Flow left in the stream, in % of the mean flow, subtracted at every point of the curve (RETScreen eq. 3). ESHA 2004 §7.4.3.2.2: 10 % of the average flow is the typical figure. Your permit governs.

Hydraulic losses at design flow

Intake, trashrack and penstock head loss at design flow, in % of gross head. Scales with (Q/Qdes)^2 at part load (RETScreen eq. 8). 5 % is the RETScreen worked case; its costing sheet gives 1-5 % intake/misc. and 1-4 % penstock, hence 1-9 %.

Transformer losses

RETScreen user input with no grounded default. 0 is optimistic: set your transformer's losses.

Parasitic electricity losses

Station auxiliaries (controls, cooling, lighting). RETScreen user input with no grounded default; 0 is optimistic.

Annual downtime losses

Share of the year's energy lost to outages and trashrack cleaning (RETScreen eq. 12). No grounded default; 0 is optimistic.

Discount rate (real)

Real discount rate for the capital recovery factor. 8 % over 30 years is the ESHA 2004 Chapter 8 basis. Costs are in constant EUR 2014, so the rate must be real.

Economic lifetime

Annuity period. ESHA 2004 uses 30 years; civil works last longer, electro-mechanical equipment is usually refurbished within that span. ORNL does not cost that rehabilitation, so it is not modelled.

Self-consumed share of output

Share of the energy used on site (valued at the avoided purchase price); the rest is exported. Default 0 = full export.

Export value

EUR/MWh

Value of exported energy. Default 120.3 EUR/MWh = EEG 2023 §40(1) no. 1 reference value for hydropower up to 500 kW (nominal EUR, 2023 law); larger plants fall in lower §40 bands. Replace with your tariff or PPA.

Avoided purchase price

EUR/MWh

Value of self-consumed energy. Default 194.1 EUR/MWh = Eurostat nrg_pc_205, EU27 2024-S2, non-household band 500-1999 MWh, excluding VAT and recoverable taxes (nominal EUR 2024).

Levelised cost of electricity by mean stream flow at the intake

Benchmarks

This model's figures against published references and reference cases.

Specific CAPEX, scaled or customized, EUR/kW

1,882 ORNL/TM-2015/471 §3.1

3,357 ORNL/TM-2015/471 §3.1

4,140 ORNL/TM-2015/471 §3.1

Reference cases at this size and usage

All results

Every model output at the current settings, grouped, with the sensitivity charts.

45 outputs · 6 groups · 11 also shown above, dimmed

Stream and sizing

Design flow: Computingm3/s
Design flow / mean flow: Computingratio
Residual flow: Computingm3/s
Peak available flow: Computingm3/s
Mean turbined flow: Computingm3/s
Share of the mean stream flow turbined: Computing%
Annual turbined water volume: Computingm3/year
Rated output never reached: Computingflag

Turbine and efficiency

Water-to-wire efficiency at design flow: Computing%
Turbine best efficiency: Computing%
Generator efficiency: Computing%
Flow-weighted turbine efficiency: Computing%
Part-load efficiency penalty: Computing%
Net head at design flow: Computingm
Specific water consumption: Computingm3/kWh
Head outside the turbine's range: Computingflag

Energy

Annual energy delivered: ComputingMWh/year
Average electrical output: ComputingMW
Capacity factor: Computing%
Full-load hours: Computingh/year
Hydraulic and conversion losses: ComputingMWh/year
Capacity factor outside the IRENA small-hydro range: Computingflag

Costs

Levelised cost of electricity: ComputingEUR/MWh
Capital component of the LCOE: ComputingEUR/MWh
O&M component of the LCOE: ComputingEUR/MWh
Specific CAPEX, scaled or customized: ComputingEUR/kW
Specific installed CAPEX: ComputingEUR/kW
Specific CAPEX of the reference case: ComputingEUR/kW
Case specific CAPEX at the 1,630 kW reference: ComputingEUR/kW
Size factor on the specific CAPEX: Computingratio
Installed CAPEX: ComputingEUR
Annual O&M: ComputingEUR/year
Annual O&M per kW: ComputingEUR/kW/year
Capital recovery factor: Computing1/year
Annualised CAPEX: ComputingEUR/year
Total annual cost: ComputingEUR/year

ORNL references and flags

ORNL Eq. 3 total (model reference): ComputingEUR
ORNL Eq. 3 in source currency (model reference): ComputingUSD
ORNL Table A.9 E&C row (model reference): ComputingEUR
Spread between ORNL Eq. 3 and its Table A.9 E&C row: Computing%
Inside the ORNL cost-model range: Computingflag
ORNL Eq. 6 O&M (model reference): ComputingEUR/year

Value of output

Blended value of output: ComputingEUR/MWh
Annual value of output: ComputingEUR/year
Indicative net annual margin: ComputingEUR/year

Sensitivities

6 charts

Sizing against the stream: LCOE and capacity factor vs installed capacity

Economies of scale: specific CAPEX vs installed capacity (ORNL Eq. 3)

Effect of gross head at fixed capacity and stream

Turbine type at the same site (1 Pelton multi-jet, 2 Pelton single jet, 3 Turgo, 4 crossflow)

Cost of the residual flow

LCOE vs real discount rate

Sources

88 documented assumptions · 7 sources

About

Calculator context

Screening techno-economics for a small (under 10 MW) or micro (under 100 kW) run-of-river hydropower plant with an impulse turbine: Pelton (multi-jet or single jet), Turgo or crossflow. It is built for mountain streams, rehabilitated mill sites, community and off-grid schemes, where the question is how much energy the stream really gives and what a kWh costs.

Energy follows the RETScreen Small Hydro model (NRCan 2004). The stream is described by its mean flow and a 21-point flow-duration curve (0 to 100 % exceedance in 5 % steps), rescaled to that mean. A residual flow (ESHA default 10 % of mean flow) is left in the stream at every point. The installed capacity in kW sets the design flow through RETScreen eq. 10, with ESHA turbine and generator efficiencies and the design-point hydraulic loss. At each curve point the turbined flow is capped at the design flow, the head loss scales with (Q/Qdes)^2, and the turbine efficiency follows its part-load curve: the RETScreen formula for crossflow, a flat best efficiency inside the ESHA operating band for Pelton and Turgo (zero below 10 % or 30 % of design flow). Power is integrated over the curve (RETScreen eq. 12) into annual energy, capacity factor and full-load hours, and exported to project mode as an hourly electricity flow in MW.

Capital cost uses the ORNL/TM-2015/471 canal/conduit law (Eq. 3): ICC = 9,297,820 x P[MW]^0.810 x H[ft]^-0.102 in 2014 USD, fitted on 62 projects from 10.5 kW to 13 MW (mean 1.63 MW), converted to EUR 2014 at the ECB 2014 average of 1.3285 USD/EUR. It is written as a scaling law: the case cost at the 1,630 kW sample mean times (P/1,630 kW)^(0.81-1). Its P^-0.19 per-kW slope is the strong economy of scale of small hydro: at 100 m head the specific cost falls from about 6,800 EUR/kW at 50 kW to about 2,500 EUR/kW at 10 MW. A second reference case uses ORNL's construction-stage row (Table A.9, 7,188,377 P^0.81 H^-0.10, 20 built projects), about 22 % lower. ORNL's Table A.9 prints a different E&C row for the Eq. 3 coefficient; the calculator shows that row and the spread instead of hiding it. A Customized option takes your own quote in EUR 2014 on the same scope, bounded by ORNL's -50 % / +100 % site spread (825-16,140 EUR/kW), and uses it as entered at every size. O&M is a model value: 2.5 % of the capital cost per year, and from 3 MW the lesser of that and ORNL Eq. 6 (2.5 % of the quote under Customized). The LCOE annualises the capital cost with a real discount rate (default 8 % over 30 years, ESHA) and is in constant EUR 2014. Licensing and development (outside the ORNL scope) and electro-mechanical rehabilitation (not costed by ORNL) are not included.

At the defaults (500 kW, 100 m gross head, multi-jet Pelton, 0.45 m3/s illustrative stream) the plant runs at a 49.3 % capacity factor, delivers 2,161 MWh a year, costs 4,422 EUR 2014/kW and produces at 116.5 EUR 2014/MWh. At a fixed stream, a larger plant lowers the cost per kW but raises the LCOE once it outgrows the flows (capacity factor falls): the sizing chart shows that trade-off. An optional value-of-output block blends an export value (EEG 2023, up to 500 kW) and an avoided purchase price (Eurostat 2024-S2). Those are nominal 2023-2024 figures, so the margin they give is indicative only.

The calculator detects and flags rather than corrects: a head outside the ESHA range of the chosen turbine, a design flow above the peak available flow, a capacity factor outside IRENA's 20-95 % small-hydro range. A capacity the stream could not deliver even without any loss is refused. The default flow-duration curve is illustrative: replace it with gauged data before defending a figure.

Model

258 variables — inputs, calculations and outputs, with their dependencies.

258 variables shown of 258

Value	Unit	Depends on
1	—	—
500	kW	—
100	m	—
0.45	m3/s	—
600	% of mean	—
300	% of mean	—
230	% of mean	—
185	% of mean	—
155	% of mean	—
132	% of mean	—
115	% of mean	—
101	% of mean	—
89	% of mean	—
79	% of mean	—
70	% of mean	—
62	% of mean	—
55	% of mean	—
48	% of mean	—
42	% of mean	—
37	% of mean	—
32	% of mean	—
27	% of mean	—
22	% of mean	—
17	% of mean	—
10	% of mean	—
10	%	—
5	%	—
0	%	—
0	%	—
0	%	—
1	—	—
0	—	—
4422	EUR/kW	—
0.08	ratio	—
30	years	—
0	%	—
120.3	EUR/MWh	—
194.1	EUR/MWh	—

Variable	Formula	Unit	Depends on
	`if((<)+(>)+(<=)+(<=)+(<=)+(<=)+(<)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(>)+(<)+(>=)+(<)+(>=)+(<)+(>=)+(<)+(>=)+(<)+(>=)+(<)+(>)+(<)+(>)+(<)+(<=)+(<)+(>)+(<)+(<)+(>*(/max(((+)+++++++++++++++++++),)-))>,,)`	bool
	`*`	MW
	`/`	ft
	`*`	ratio
	`if(==,,if(==,,if(==,,)))`	ratio
	`if(==,,if(==,,))*`	ratio
	`if(<=,,if(<=,+(-)(-)/(-),if(<=,+(-)(-)/(-),if(<=,+(-)(-)/(-),if(<=,+(-)(-)/(-),if(<=,+(-)*(-)/(-),))))))`	ratio
	`*((+)+++++++++++++++++++)`	% of mean
	`/max(,)`	m3/s per %
	`(-)(-*)`	ratio
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`min(max(*-,),)`	m3/s
	`if(==,max(-(-/max(,))-(-/max(,))^,),if(/max(,)>=,,))`	ratio
	`if(>,,)`	m3/s
	`*(-(/max(,))^2)****`	kW
	`*((+)+++++++++++++++++++*)`	m3/s
	`*((+)+++++++++++++++++++)`	kW
	`if(==,,)`	USD 2014
	`if(==,,)`	—
	`**`	EUR/year

Variable	Formula	Unit	Depends on
	`*(-)`	m
	`/max((-),)`	m3/s
	`*`	%
	`*`	%
	`*(-)`	%
	`**`	m3/s
	`max(*-,)`	m3/s
	`/max(,)`	ratio
	`*((+)+++++++++++++++++++)`	m3/s
	`(-)**`	MWh/year
	`/`	MW
	`/max(,)`	%
	`/max(,)`	h/year
	`/max(,)*`	%
	`max(-/max(,),)`	%
	`/max(,)*`	%
	`(-)**`	m3/year
	`/max(*,)`	m3/kWh
	`max(***/-,)`	MWh/year
	`if(>,,)`	flag
	`if((==)((<)+(>))+(==)((<)+(>))+(<=)*((<)+(>))>,,)`	flag
	`if((<)+(>)>,,)`	flag
	`^^`	USD
	`()^*^//`	EUR/kW
	`(/max(,))^(-)`	ratio
	`*`	EUR/kW
	`clamp(if(>=,,),,)`	EUR/kW
	`/`	EUR
		EUR/kW
	`*`	EUR
	`^^/`	EUR
	`(/max(,)-)*`	%
	`if((<)+(>)+(<)+(>)>,,)`	flag
	`*^/`	EUR/year
	`if((<)*(>=)>,min(,),)`	EUR/year
	`/max(,)`	EUR/kW/year
	`if(<,/max(,),(*(+)^)/max((+)^-,))`	1/year
	`*`	EUR/year
	`+`	EUR/year
	`/max(,)`	EUR/MWh
	`/max(,)`	EUR/MWh
	`/max(,)`	EUR/MWh
	`*+(-)*`	EUR/MWh
	`*`	EUR/year
	`-`	EUR/year

Assumptions

88 assumptions used in the calculations

Protects divisions; far below any physical value of the model.
Market range Not applicable (numerical guard).
0
OpenJack DSL convention
Unit constant for complements such as (1 - losses) and the CRF.
Market range Exact by definition.
1
Numerical constant
Floor for flows and efficiencies; false value of the flags.
Market range Exact; not a parameter.
0
Numerical constant
Weight of the two end points in the trapezoidal integration of the flow-duration curve.
Market range Exact for the trapezoid rule.
0.5
Trapezoidal rule
Turns percent inputs into fractions.
Market range Exact (1 % = 0.01).
0.011/%
Unit conversion
Turns fractions into percent outputs; also the upper limit of percent inputs.
Market range Exact (fraction 1 = 100 %).
100%
Unit conversion
Converts kW to MW for the ORNL law (P in MW) and annual energy.
Market range Exact (1 kW = 0.001 MW).
0.001MW/kW
SI prefixes
Converts the installed capacity to watts for the hydraulic power equation.
Market range Exact (1 kW = 1,000 W).
1000W/kW
SI prefixes
Converts rho g Q H (watts) to kW at each curve point.
Market range Exact (1 W = 0.001 kW).
0.001kW/W
SI prefixes
Converts annual energy to kWh for the specific water consumption.
Market range Exact (1 MWh = 1,000 kWh).
1000kWh/MWh
SI prefixes
Annualises power into energy (RETScreen eq. 12 uses 8,760 h).
Market range 8,760 h (8,784 in a leap year).
8760h/year
Calendar convention
Converts the mean turbined flow (m3/s) into an annual volume.
Market range Exact (3,600 s per hour).
3600s/h
Time units
ORNL Eq. 3 takes the head in feet: H_ft = H_m / 0.3048.
Market range Exact by definition.
0.3048m/ft
International foot (1959)
Hydraulic power rho g Q H.
Market range
1000kg/m3
RETScreen eq. 7 value
Hydraulic power rho g Q H.
Market range
9.81m/s2
RETScreen eq. 7 value
Spacing of the 21 flow-duration points (0, 5, ... 100 %).
Market range Fixed by the method (21 points).
5%
RETScreen §2.1.1
Selector code for Pelton multi-jet in the turbine_type input.
Market range Selector code 1 (Pelton multi-jet), not a physical value.
1
OpenJack selector convention
Selector code for Pelton single jet in the turbine_type input.
Market range Selector code 2 (Pelton single jet), not a physical value.
2
OpenJack selector convention
Selector code for Turgo in the turbine_type input.
Market range Selector code 3 (Turgo), not a physical value.
3
OpenJack selector convention
Selector code for crossflow in the turbine_type input.
Market range Selector code 4 (crossflow), not a physical value.
4
OpenJack selector convention
Lowest valid turbine code.
Market range Code range 1-4.
1
OpenJack selector convention
Highest valid turbine code.
Market range Code range 1-4.
4
OpenJack selector convention
Best efficiency of a multi-jet Pelton, flat across its operating band.
Market range ESHA lists 0.89 (1 nozzle) and 0.90 (n nozzles); manufacturer curves of large units reach higher.
0.9ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.7
Best efficiency of a single-jet Pelton.
Market range One point below the multi-jet value in the same table.
0.89ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.7
Best efficiency of a Turgo runner.
Market range RETScreen models Turgo as Pelton minus 0.03 (0.87 against a 0.90 Pelton); ESHA's 0.85 is the lower and is kept.
0.85ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.7
Below 10 % of design flow a multi-jet Pelton is taken as off.
Market range ESHA: good efficiency from 10 % to 100 % of maximum discharge with several jets.
10%
ESHA 2004 §6.2
Below 30 % of design flow a single-jet Pelton or a Turgo is taken as off.
Market range ESHA: 30 % to 100 % of maximum discharge for one jet. Applied to Turgo too, since ESHA gives no Turgo-specific band.
30%
ESHA 2004 §6.2
Crossflow efficiency at design flow: e = a - b x - c x^14 with x = (Qd - Q)/Qd.
Market range Crossflow peaks are usually quoted 0.78-0.84 by manufacturers; no independent range cited here.
0.79ratio
RETScreen Appendix A
Linear part-load term of the crossflow curve.
Market range Formula coefficient; no independent range.
0.15ratio
RETScreen Appendix A
Steep low-flow term: makes efficiency collapse below about 10 % of design flow.
Market range Formula coefficient; no independent range.
1.37ratio
RETScreen Appendix A
Exponent of the low-flow term.
Market range Formula exponent; no alternative cited.
14
RETScreen Appendix A
Generator efficiency at 10 kW; interpolated linearly between table points.
Market range Table point; held at 0.97 above 1 MW and at 0.91 below 10 kW.
0.91ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Rated power of the ESHA Table 6.8 point at 10 kW (interpolation abscissa).
Market range Abscissa 10 kW of the table, not a parameter.
10kW
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Generator efficiency at 50 kW; interpolated linearly between table points.
Market range ESHA 6.8 point at 50 kW; no independent range cited.
0.94ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Rated power of the ESHA Table 6.8 point at 50 kW (interpolation abscissa).
Market range Abscissa 50 kW of the table, not a parameter.
50kW
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Generator efficiency at 100 kW; interpolated linearly between table points.
Market range ESHA 6.8 point at 100 kW; no independent range cited.
0.95ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Rated power of the ESHA Table 6.8 point at 100 kW (interpolation abscissa).
Market range Abscissa 100 kW of the table, not a parameter.
100kW
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Generator efficiency at 250 kW; interpolated linearly between table points.
Market range ESHA 6.8 point at 250 kW; no independent range cited.
0.955ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Rated power of the ESHA Table 6.8 point at 250 kW (interpolation abscissa).
Market range Abscissa 250 kW of the table, not a parameter.
250kW
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Generator efficiency at 500 kW; interpolated linearly between table points.
Market range ESHA 6.8 point at 500 kW; no independent range cited.
0.96ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Rated power of the ESHA Table 6.8 point at 500 kW (interpolation abscissa).
Market range Abscissa 500 kW of the table, not a parameter.
500kW
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Generator efficiency at 1000 kW; interpolated linearly between table points.
Market range Table point; held at 0.97 above 1 MW and at 0.91 below 10 kW.
0.97ratio
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Rated power of the ESHA Table 6.8 point at 1000 kW (interpolation abscissa).
Market range Abscissa 1000 kW of the table, not a parameter.
1000kW
ESHA 2004 Table 6.8
Lower net head of the pelton range; below it the flag is raised.
Market range ESHA range 50 < Hn < 1300 m.
50m
ESHA 2004 Table 6.3
Upper net head of the pelton range; above it the flag is raised.
Market range ESHA range 50 < Hn < 1300 m.
1300m
ESHA 2004 Table 6.3
Lower net head of the turgo range; below it the flag is raised.
Market range ESHA range 50 < Hn < 250 m.
50m
ESHA 2004 Table 6.3
Upper net head of the turgo range; above it the flag is raised.
Market range ESHA range 50 < Hn < 250 m.
250m
ESHA 2004 Table 6.3
Lower net head of the crossflow range; below it the flag is raised.
Market range ESHA range 5 < Hn < 200 m.
5m
ESHA 2004 Table 6.3
Upper net head of the crossflow range; above it the flag is raised.
Market range ESHA range 5 < Hn < 200 m.
200m
ESHA 2004 Table 6.3
Coefficient of the canal/conduit cost law ICC = a P^0.810 H^-0.102 (P MW, H ft), Eq. 3, printed identically on p.viii, p.14 and in Table 8 p.31. Citation risk, kept visible: Table A.9 p.A-25 prints the E&C row as '9,297,820 P0.76 H-0.13', the same coefficient with other exponents, while 0.81/-0.10 are the exponents of the construction row. The calculator uses Eq. 3 as recommended and shows the Table A.9 E&C row and the spread (13.6 % at 500 kW and 100 m).
Market range Table A.9 prints the same coefficient in the E&C row with 0.76/-0.13; the construction row prints 7,188,377 P0.81 H-0.10.
9297820USD 2014
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Eq. 3
Capital-cost exponent on installed capacity: specific CAPEX = case cost at 1,630 kW x (P/1,630 kW)^(0.81-1), so the per-kW cost falls as P^-0.19 (x1.252 at 500 kW, x0.708 at 10 MW). The 50 kW-10 MW slider sits inside ORNL's 10 kW-13 MW application range (§4.3.3), so no reduction of the slider. Evidence medium: US sample, canals and conduits reusing existing conveyance.
Market range Table A.9 rows by capacity class print 0.77 (< 1 MW) and 0.58 (>= 1 MW, R2 0.36); not used, they would break a single law.
0.81
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Eq. 3
Reference size of the scaling law: the printed average capacity of the Eq. 3 sample. At 1,630 kW the size factor is 1 and the case enters unscaled (3,532.4 EUR/kW for Eq. 3 at 100 m).
Market range Sample: 10.5 kW to 13 MW.
1630kW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §4.3.2
Head exponent: higher head means less flow and smaller works for the same power.
Market range Appendix A rows print -0.13 and -0.10.
-0.102
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Eq. 3
Lower capacity of the Eq. 3 application range.
Market range 10 kW to 13 MW.
0.01MW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §4.3.3
Upper capacity of the Eq. 3 application range.
Market range 10 kW to 13 MW.
13MW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §4.3.3
Lower head of the Eq. 3 application range (1.5 m).
Market range 5 to 1,847 ft.
5ft
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §4.3.3
Upper head of the Eq. 3 application range (563 m).
Market range 5 to 1,847 ft.
1847ft
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §4.3.3
Capacity exponent of ORNL's Table A.9 engineering & construction row, used only for the spread output.
Market range 0.76 here against 0.810 in Eq. 3.
0.76
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Table A.9
Head exponent of the same Appendix A row.
Market range -0.13 here against -0.102 in Eq. 3.
-0.13
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Table A.9
Code of the reference cost case 'ORNL 2015 Eq. 3, engineering and construction stage'.
Market range Not applicable.
1
OpenJack selector code
Code of the reference cost case 'ORNL 2015 Table A.9, construction stage'.
Market range Not applicable.
2
OpenJack selector code
Coefficient of the construction-stage case. Same capacity exponent as Eq. 3, so the scaling law stays the same; about 22 % lower than Eq. 3 at 500 kW and 100 m (3,458.33 against 4,421.65 EUR/kW). O&M of the case: 2.5 % of its ICC, same document.
Market range Eq. 3 (E&C stage, 62 projects) is the other case.
7188377USD 2014
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Table A.9
Head exponent of the construction-stage case.
Market range -0.102 in Eq. 3.
-0.1
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Table A.9
Converts ORNL 2014 USD into EUR 2014 (same year, so no price index is needed).
Market range Daily rates in 2014 ran from about 1.21 to 1.39 USD/EUR.
1.3285USD/EUR
ECB reference rate, 2014 annual average
Lower bound of the customized specific CAPEX and of the clamp on the specific CAPEX (same number in the slider, the guard, the help and bounds_json). The model never goes below 1,651 EUR/kW on the slider box, so the clamp does not bind.
Market range ORNL: -50 % to +100 % around the modelled cost.
825EUR/kW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 p.viii
Upper bound of the customized specific CAPEX and of the clamp. It sits above the model everywhere on the slider box (highest model value 8,070 EUR/kW), so a quote twice the model is accepted at any size.
Market range ORNL: -50 % to +100 % around the modelled cost.
16140EUR/kW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 p.viii
Annual O&M in % of the initial capital cost, a model value for both cases and for a customized CAPEX.
Market range
2.5% of CAPEX/yr
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §5.5
Coefficient of ORNL's capacity-only O&M model, used from 3 MW as a cap on 2.5 % of ICC.
Market range No independent range cited.
225417USD 2014/yr
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Eq. 6
Capacity exponent of ORNL Eq. 6 (P in MW).
Market range No independent range cited.
0.547
ORNL/TM-2015/471 Eq. 6
Below 3 MW, Eq. 6 is shown but not used; the O&M is 2.5 % of ICC.
Market range
3MW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §5.6
Converts the potential energy of the turbined water into MWh for the losses output.
Market range Not applicable (unit conversion).
3600000000J/MWh
SI
Reference mark on the specific CAPEX: lower quartile of ORNL canal/conduit project costs, 2,500 USD/kW in EUR 2014.
Market range ORNL: 2,500-5,500 USD 2014/kW interquartile; exceptional cases from 1,000 to nearly 9,000.
1,881.82EUR/kW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §3.1
Reference mark on the specific CAPEX: average ORNL canal/conduit project, 4,460 USD/kW in EUR 2014.
Market range ORNL: 2,500-5,500 USD 2014/kW interquartile.
3,357.17EUR/kW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §3.1
Reference mark on the specific CAPEX: upper quartile of ORNL canal/conduit project costs, 5,500 USD/kW in EUR 2014.
Market range ORNL: 2,500-5,500 USD 2014/kW interquartile.
4,140.01EUR/kW
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §3.1
Lower end of the small-hydro capacity-factor range, used by the CF flag.
Market range IRENA: 20-95 % for small hydro.
20%
IRENA 2012 Table 1
Upper end of the same range.
Market range IRENA: 20-95 % for small hydro.
95%
IRENA 2012 Table 1
SCOPE. One run-of-river impulse plant (Pelton, Turgo or crossflow), 50 kW to 10 MW, from the intake to the generator terminals (transformer and auxiliaries as optional losses). Energy follows the RETScreen Small Hydro model: flow-duration curve at 21 points, residual flow, design flow from installed capacity (eq. 10), head loss in (Q/Qdes)^2 (eq. 8), part-load turbine efficiency, power at each point (eq. 7) and trapezoidal integration (eq. 12). No storage, no pumping, no Kaplan/Francis. Not modelled: electro-mechanical rehabilitation within the lifetime, since ORNL does not cost it.
Market range Not applicable (scope statement).
—
RETScreen Small Hydro chapter
HYDROLOGY. The default curve (Q0 = 600 % of mean, Q50 = 70 %, Q100 = 10 %) and the 0.45 m3/s mean flow describe an illustrative mountain stream, not a measured site. Energy, capacity factor and LCOE depend on it more than on any other input; replace it with gauged or regionalised data before using a figure.
Market range Real curves vary widely between glacial, snow-fed and rain-fed streams.
—
OpenJack illustrative default
PART LOAD. Pelton and Turgo are modelled at their best efficiency across the whole operating band and at zero below it. RETScreen's full Pelton part-load formula is printed as an image in the source and could not be verified, so it is not used. Real Pelton curves droop by a few points at low flow: energy is slightly optimistic for flashy streams.
Market range Not applicable (modelling choice).
—
ESHA 2004 §6.2 and Table 6.7
Impulse runners sit above tailwater, so the RETScreen tailrace-backwater reduction (eq. 9) is not applied. It matters for reaction turbines at low head, which are out of scope.
Market range Not applicable (out-of-scope effect).
—
RETScreen eq. 9
CAPEX BOUNDARY. ORNL's initial capital cost covers civil works, electro-mechanical equipment, electrical infrastructure and engineering/construction management; it excludes licensing, project development and financing (p.11), which weigh heavily in small hydro. costs.capex.isbl exports it with battery_limit 'installed', so project mode adds working capital and contingency (about x1.17 at its defaults). Both reference cases share that scope. A customized value must be a quote on the same scope, in EUR 2014. Money basis: constant EUR 2014 (ORNL 2014 USD / 1.3285).
Market range Not applicable (boundary statement).
—
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §4
TRANSPOSITION. The ORNL laws are fitted on US canal/conduit projects, which reuse existing water conveyance. A new mountain diversion carries more civil works, and licensing (excluded by ORNL) is heavy for small hydro. ORNL reports averages of 4,460 USD/kW for canals and 4,800 USD/kW for new stream-reach projects, both in 2014 USD. A known site premium goes through the Customized CAPEX option, bounded by ORNL's own -50 % / +100 % site spread.
Market range Project-class averages quoted in 2014 USD; no European range cited.
—
ORNL/TM-2015/471
O&M is a model value, not an input. Model CAPEX: 2.5 %/yr of the initial capital cost, and from 3 MW the lesser of that and ORNL Eq. 6 (225,417 P^0.547 in 2014 USD, / 1.3285). It does not bind at the defaults (500 kW); at 10 MW and 100 m Eq. 6 gives 794 kUSD against 831 kUSD. Customized CAPEX: 2.5 % of the quote. IRENA 2012 reports 1-6 % of investment for small hydro.
Market range 1-6 % of investment per year (IRENA 2012).
—
ORNL/TM-2015/471 §5.5; IRENA 2012
Default 8 % real discount rate over 30 years, the ESHA 2004 Chapter 8 basis (CRF 0.08883). Costs are constant EUR 2014, so a real rate is consistent; no tax, no inflation, no debt structure.
Market range Not applicable (financial convention).
—
ESHA 2004 Chapter 8
VALUE. Export default 120.3 EUR/MWh (EEG 2023 §40 reference value for hydropower up to 500 kW, nominal 2023); self-consumption default 194.1 EUR/MWh (Eurostat nrg_pc_205, EU27 2024-S2, 500-1,999 MWh non-household band, excluding VAT and recoverable taxes). These are nominal 2023-2024 EUR and are not converted to EUR 2014: the net margin output mixes years and is indicative only. The LCOE does not use them.
Market range Germany only for the export value; EU average for the purchase price.
—
EEG 2023 §40; Eurostat nrg_pc_205
Transformer, parasitic and downtime losses are RETScreen user inputs with no grounded default (checked: RETScreen leaves them to the user). They default to 0, which is optimistic; set them from your equipment and maintenance plan. They stay inputs rather than model values because no sourced typical figure was found; a typical value from ESHA 2004 is a lead still to verify.
Market range No independent range cited.
—
RETScreen eqs. 7 and 12
DOMAIN. Evaluated with the calculator at the corners of capacity (50 kW, 10 MW), head (20, 550 m), the four turbine types, the two reference cases and the CAPEX source (model value, Customized at 825 and at 16,140 EUR/kW), with the default curve shape, the default sizing (design flow 1.38 x mean flow), 10 % residual flow, the default economics (8 %, 30 years) and no optional losses. The model value alone runs from about 43 EUR/MWh (10 MW, 550 m, multi-jet Pelton, construction case) to about 236 EUR/MWh (50 kW, 20 m, single-jet Pelton, Eq. 3); the Eq. 3 case alone from about 55 to 236. With the Customized extremes the span is about 22-471 EUR/MWh, and the 20-480 EUR/MWh bound covers it. Outside that sub-box the LCOE leaves the bound, and the bundle tests show it: on the boundary stream and site (1.6 m3/s, 30 % residual flow, 550 m, single-jet Pelton, 10 % downtime, 2 % + 2 % electrical losses) at 8 % and 30 years, Customized gives 15.4 EUR/MWh at 50 kW and 825 EUR/kW and 714 EUR/MWh at 10 MW and 16,140 EUR/kW. Sizing from 0.6 to 2.5 x mean flow and residual flow from 0 to 30 % widen the corner span to about 13-1,024 EUR/MWh.
Market range IRENA 2012: 0.02-0.27 USD 2010/kWh for small hydro (10 % cost of capital), more for pico; different currency, year and discount rate, not converted, so no position against it is concluded.
—
Corner evaluation of this calculator
PROJECT MODE. The meta exports electricity as an hourly MW flow (annual energy / 8,760), the installed CAPEX as ISBL ('installed'), and the O&M as fixed opex. No inlet: river water is not a purchased commodity. The plant output is set by the stream, so the outlet is manual_only: OpenJack flags a mismatch with a downstream consumer and never resizes the plant.
Market range Not applicable (contract statement).
—
OJ_ASSET_META_V1

Small and micro hydropower plant (Pelton / Turgo / crossflow)

Mass and energy balance

CAPEX

Included

Not included

Added at project level

Project figures

Levelised cost of electricity

Benchmarks

Specific CAPEX, scaled or customized, EUR/kW

All results

Stream and sizing

Turbine and efficiency

Energy

Costs

ORNL references and flags

Value of output

Sensitivities

Sources

About

Model

User inputs · 38

Constants · 76

Intermediate calcs · 99

Exposed outputs · 45

Assumptions