Handmade Hydro Homestead

At a glance..

This book contains information on how to build a waterwheel generator.

The details..

'Handmade Hydro Homestead' by Bob-O Schultze is an inspiring true story about how Matt and Roseanne Olson built their own hydroplant after their diesel generator broke down. The couple had been collecting parts for four years before finally deciding to build it themselves with the help of a good neighbor and friend. Eighteen years later, this 'temporary fix' still produces clean energy from Mother Nature's resources.

The Olsons live in Northern California at the confluence of Methodist Creek and Salmon River where there are many creeks and springs ideal for low-impact microhydro systems. This area has no access to utility power lines due to its remoteness; therefore, they rely on what nature provides them onsite. They use recycled mining ditch water which flows along the back edge of their property as irrigation water for plants, grasses, flowers including Rosie's flower garden.

Nearly every part used in building this handmade hydro system was reincarnated after being repurposed from something else such as scrap metal piles or bartered items from deceased farming machinery or mining equipment. The total head of this hydro system is around 14 feet producing up to 2500 watts (2.5 kilowatts) daily using one cubic foot per second (cfs) while turning at only twelve rotations per minute under load but increased through jack shafts approximately two thousand revolutions per minute.

This book offers readers insight into living off-grid without batteries or controls associated with stand-alone renewable energy systems like solar panels or wind turbines because it relies solely on rolling thunder produced by its generator outputting AC power frequency at sixty hertz voltage levels.