3 kW 'pump as turbine' microhydro at Mae Wei village, Tak Province:

This 3-kW micro-hydropower project is in Mae Wei village, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province, Thailand. It uses a centrifugal pump 'running backwards' as a turbine. It was installed over 10 days in February 2008 by a team of villagers from Mae Wei, Engineering Studies Program (ESP) students from the Mae La refugee camp, American students from the Institute for Village Studies and Spring Street High School, BGET team members and Palang Thai. The photo on the left shows the power house under construction, with 4" PVC penstock pipe in place.

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Technical info: Water drops 35 meters (vertical) through a four-inch PVC pipe spinning the pump's impeller. The pump's induction motor creates 3-phase 240-volt (delta) electricity which is converted to single-phase 240 volt through a 'C-2C' capacitor arrangement. A Leonics micro-hydro controller dumps excess electricity to a resistive ballast load. The project powers lights in 16 classrooms and a dormitory and teacher's homes, 10 computers, and video equipment.

Equipment cost: under 100,000 baht (US$3,300)