Hydropower Archives - Page 2 of 6

2 Jul, 2015 By Mary

A return visit to Penllergare Valley Woods hydropower scheme

On our recent trip to the London we decided to bring the car and take the ferry to Fishguard to visit some of the hydropower sites we have worked on over the last year. Our first port of call was a visit to Penllergare Valley Woods, a picturesque landscape hidden away in a steep valley just a stone’s throw, yet a world away, from the M4 in north Swansea.

The Archimedean Screw along side the man made waterfall

As part of the upgrade and restoration of Penllergare Valley Woods a 30kW Archimedean Screw Hydro Turbine was installed to ensure a sustainable future for Penllergare Valley. A little over a year ago the hydropower scheme was commissioned and is now generating clean green electricity to power the new visitor centre with excess being sold back to the national grid. The Archimedean Screw with a length of 11m and a capacity of 2880 m3/h is situated next to the waterfall. The enclosed compact design was the preferred design of screw for this particular site as the design minimised the installation cost and doesn’t intrude on the existing landscape.

With its lakes and waterfalls, terraces, panoramic views, exotic trees and shrubs, this forgotten Victorian paradise is being slowly restored and brought back to life by the Penllergare Trust. Penllergare Valley Woods was once a famous gentry estate and home to John Dillwyn Llewelyn, the notable 19-century horticulturalist, philanthropist and pioneering photographer. It is Llewelyn’s design, vision and influence behind the picturesque and romantic landscapes of the park.

Penllergare Valley Woods is a place where you can enjoy the sound of birds, delight in the profusion of wild flowers, discover evidence of exotic plantings and uncover for yourself the hidden features of a grand design. Wildlife research carried out by Swansea Council has found the estate is very significant for amphibians and acts as a “corridor” for animals to thrive and move about.

One of the many ancient Rhododendrons in full bloom

Through hard work, persistence and community spirit by local volunteers and with the financial support of sponsors and the Friends of Penllergare membership scheme, they have been working hard over the last decade or so to maintain and to restore the Penllergare landscape to the romantic style shown in the photographs of John Dillwyn Llewelyn who created it. The rhododendrons, the legacy of the ‘plant hunting’ Dillwyn Llewlyn family in the 19th centurywere a popular sight along every walk way.

It was obvious throughout our visit that volunteers had been working hard replanting specimen trees and ornamental shrubberies which had been lost from the existing landscape. They have also been thinning and managing areas of dense trees and shrub to reopen historic views.

A return visit to Penllergare Valley Woods hydropower scheme

Visitors can enjoy over 12km of walks including along the Carriage Drive to the now demolished former home of the Dillwyn Llewelyn family, and also down into the gorge where the family created the upper lake with a stunning man made waterfall. Paths and tracks lead on down alongside the afon Llan as it meanders its way to Fforest fach.

Throughout the last few years the upper lake has been de-silted, and steps, terraces, the stone-arched Llewelyn bridge, waterfalls and cascades have been repaired and restored to reinstate the picturesque and romantic design.

Using photographic evidence from the 19th century, the old stone bridge was recreated in the traditional style by local stonemasons.

The original stone bridge — The recreated stone bridge

After walking for hours and checking out the Archimedean Screw we spent some time browsing through the information books and leaflets in the visitor centre and then enjoyed a cup of coffee at the small cafe which has stunning views from the cafe terrace to the upper lake. If you’re ever in the area it is well worth a visit. Dogs are also welcome 🙂 🙂

4 May, 2015 By Mary

Hydropower – the world’s oldest method of harnessing clean power

Greater awareness of the potential damage to the planet from global warming has lead governments and multinational organisations to take measures to mitigate the impacts of human activity on the climate. With little or no CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions and high energy payback, hydropower supports clean development and is recognised as being fully renewable and sustainable.

Some interesting hydropower facts:

Hydropower is the world’s leading renewable energy resource and the oldest method of harnessing clean power – the first waterwheels were used over 2,000 years ago
It currently produces around 17% of the world’s electricity and 90% of the world’s renewable power
Twenty-five countries depend on hydropower for 90% of their electricity
Less than one third of the world’s practical hydro capacity has been developed
Hydropower beats all other electricity generating technologies with a pay-back ratio of 300 (energy produced/energy to produce) – this is ten times more than oil-fired power stations.
There are no direct CO 2 emissions from hydro projects.

Small hydro schemes have minimum visual impact on their surrounding environment.
Hydropower, after 150 years as an electricity generating source, is still one of the most inexpensive ways to generate power
Most large hydro stations have dams but thousands of small hydro stations don’t – they are ‘run-of-river’ schemes and make a minimal impact on the environment
Hydro is the only renewable technology that can be used to store large quantities of energy in a clean environmentally-friendly way. This is done by reservoir storage and pumped storage schemes.
Hydro installations can have a useful life of over 100 years – many such plants are in existence worldwide
A modern hydro turbine generator can convert over 90% of the energy in the available water into electricity. This is more efficient than any other form of generation.

Shane's Castle Archimedes Screw Installation - largest single screw ever to be manufactured — Shane’s Castle Archimedes Screw Installation NI- largest single screw ever to be manufactured

Hydropower is a flexible technology, proven, improved and refined over many years, yet its site-specific features make it highly innovatory in application, which makes use of a wide range of available resource – large or small, storage or run-of-river, and including tidal range, canals and even water treatment works. It is still one of the most inexpensive ways to generate power, playing an important role in our electricity system stability.

If you are the owner of an old mill site or a potential hydro site, would like to refurbish or replace a water wheel or a community group interested in developing a hydro project for community use we can help. Just contact us here and we will answer all queries and help you every step of the way with your proposed project.

11 Feb, 2015 By Mary

Why Mini or Micro scale Hydro?

Small-scale hydro is one of the most long term cost-effective and reliable energy technologies to be considered for providing clean electricity generation. Hydropower is the nation’s most available, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy source requiring only the power of moving water from rivers and streams.

Small scale hydropower systems capture the energy in flowing water and converts it to usable energy. Although the potential for small hydro-electric systems depends on the availablity of suitable water flow, where the resource exists it can provide cheap clean reliable electricity. A well designed small hydropower system can blend with its surroundings and have minimal negative environmental impacts.

Benefits of small scale hydropower:

A high conversion efficiency (70 – 90%), by far the best of all energy technologies.
A high capacity factor (typically >50%), compared with <10% for solar and around 30% for wind.
A high level of predictability, varying with annual rainfall patterns.
Slow rate of change; the output power varies only gradually from day to day (not from minute to minute).
A good correlation with demand i.e. output is maximum in Winter.
Hydro produces a continuous supply of electrical energy in comparison to other small-scale renewable technologies. 24 hour generation i.e. works at night.
It is a long-lasting and robust technology; systems can readily be engineered to last for 50 years or more.
Well-designed schemes are also environmentally benign. Small hydro is in most cases “run-of-river”; in other words any impoundment is quite small, often an existing weir, and little or no water stored.
Small hydro schemes have minimum visual impact on their surrounding environment
A climate-friendly energy source with no direct CO 2 emissions from hydro projects.

Therefore run-of-river installations do not have the same kinds of adverse effect on the local environment as large-scale hydro, which involves a substantial dam and a more fundamental alteration to the downstream flow pattern.

Hydropower is a flexible technology, proven, improved and refined over many years, yet its site-specific features make it highly innovatory in application, which makes use of a wide range of available resources – micro, small or large, storage or run-of-river, and including tidal, canals and even water treatment works. It is still one of the most inexpensive ways to generate power, playing an important role in our electricity system stability.

30 Jan, 2015 By Mary

A look back at 2014 – the power of water!

The blog has been quite of late so now its time to get back into the swing of things. And what better way than to look back on some of the most memorable posts of 2014. While looking back through the posts over the past few days it has stuck me just how busy we were in the last year!

We have had to spend a huge percentage of the year traveling and working in the UK due to the lack of support mechanisms and action on microgeneration here in Ireland. In December ESBCS withdrew their export tariff scheme to new microgeneration customers which now means there is no financial incentive in this country for microgeneration as ESBCS were the only supplier offering such a tariff. Contrast this to the ROCs system in NI and the REFIT scheme in Britain, both these schemes pay for actual generation not just what is exported, there is a smaller top-up payment for export. On the brighter side we got the opportunity to travel through the most scenic countryside to visit and work on beautiful rivers and old mills.

Penllergare Valley Woods.

Almost a year ago to the day we visited Penllergare Valley Woods located on the northern fringe of Swansea. It was once a famous gentry estate and home to John Dillwyn Llewelyn, the notable 19-century horticulturalist, philanthropist and pioneering photographer. The development of the hydropower scheme in Penllergare Valley Woods will generate sufficient power to meet the needs of the sites new visitor centre and excess sold to the National Grid, raising an expected £10,000 per year for the trust. The Archimedean Screw with a length of 11m and a capacity of 2880 m3/h is situated next to the waterfall at Penllergare Valley Woods.

Archimedean Screw with ell pass running along side

Osney Lock.

Osney Lock Hydro was the first community-owned hydro scheme to be built on the Thames. There was extraordinary support shown by local people towards the project. The Osney Lock Hydro share offer raised over £500,000 in just four weeks. Without this swift and significant support the project would not have been able to go ahead. Over 40% of the investment came from within a mile of the project and 4 out of 5 investors live in Oxfordshire. On Tuesday 25^th March at midday the dreams of the local residents came to life when a 4.35m-long, four-bladed Archimedean screw was installed at Osney Lock.

Mapledurham Watermill

The watermill is the last working corn and grist watermill on the River Thames and is still producing high-quality stone-ground flour today. An Archimedean Screw hydro turbine was designed and installed in 2011 to replace the original turbine that had fallen into disrepair. The 7.27 m Open Compact Archimedean Screw has a capacity of 5,000l/s and a predicted output of 99.95kW. It is estimated that it will save 221 tonnes of CO2 per annum. Over the course of a year, the screw will produce approximately 500,000kWh of renewable electricity which is being bought by Marks and Spencer via the national grid. The electricity generated is sufficient to power one of its stores.

The mill produces stone-ground flour using a waterwheel. Wholemeal and white flour, bran, semolina and Millers Mix, a blended combination bran and semolina, are all produced at the mill. When the sale of the electricity has covered the cost of the turbine, the profits will go towards renovating the mill and its outbuildings to how it was 200 years ago. The new water wheel is the exact structural copy of the existing water wheel and is made out of oak which was sourced from the Mapledurham Estate.

Cragside House

Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. On the 9th April, a century and a half after the first hydropower installation at Cragside House a new hydropower turbine arrived onsite. A 21st century, 17m long Archimedean Screw rated at 12kW and weighing several tonnes was craned into position at the southern end of Tumbleton lake and will produce enough energy to re-light the house just like Lord Armstrong did.

Osbaston

The project consists of two 3.6m diameter Archimedes Screw hydropower turbines. The turbines were designed to rotate at a speed of 28rpm, which produce a maximum power output of 150kW. The estimated annual power output is 670,000kWh enough electricity to power over 150 homes and gives an estimated annual CO2 saving of 288 tonnes. A small percentage of the power generated is used to power the owners home and the remainder is sold to the National Grid. The fish pass and hydropower scheme was offically opened in 2009.

Sowton Weir

Sowton Mill stands on the River Teign in Devon and has been using hydro power for over 400 years, initially to mill corn and then, from the 1950s, to generate electricity. In the 1980s a 16kW crossflow turbine was installed which was the U.K.s smallest electricity contributor to the National Grid. To improve the power generation and aid fish migration a decision was made to install the fish-friendly Archimedean Screw hydro turbine. Sowton hydropower scheme was developed by a private client to provide a renewable source of electricity to the property on site with all excess power sold to the National Grid.

Tours and Shows

One of the most exciting memories of 2014 was visiting the IFAT show in Munich and continuing on to visit some Archimedes Screw installations in Munich, Czech Republic and The Netherlands. IFAT 2014 is the world´s leading exhibition of innovation solutions for environmental technology. Climate change, rising raw material prices, an increasing number of mega-cities and advancing industrialization in emerging countries boost the demand for products and services that address environmental and climate challenges. With growing pressures on European countries to reverse years of environmental damage and to find more integrated pollution control techniques, the potential is limitless.

There are many more projects both here and in the UK at various stages of build which I hope to blog about throughout 2015. The projects mentioned are a taste of what community groups, home owners and businesses have achieved in their desire to harness the power of the river to generate green electricity. On our trips around Ireland with the Mills and Millers of Ireland we met several mill owners and enthusiasts who, like us are promoting the benefits of hydropower and encourage and assist in the preservation of old mills which are part of our Industrial, architectural landscape heritage.

We will continue to fight for microgeneration incentives because after all every person or household in the country that pays an electricity bill also pays a PSO. So it is a little unfair that the ordinary man in the street who pays the bulk of this PSO does not benefit from it in the form of any incentive that would help him to install his own microgeneration.

10 Nov, 2014 By Mary

Fish-friendly hydropower at Sowton Weir

Mann Power Consulting Ltd.,designed the Open Compact Archimedean Screw for this particular site which was manufactured by Landustrie in Holland. An Open Compact is a self-supporting U-shaped steel construction minimising necessary civil work on site. The generator unit is an integral part of the construction, easily accessible via a weatherproof, hinged generator cover. The length and diameter of an Archimedean Screw will be dictated by the parameters of the particular site and are finished in the colour of your choice. All Archimedean Screws are manufactured as bespoke installations. Rated at 95kW it is expected to save in excess of 165 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (C02) annually. The predicted annual output is 368,000kWh per year.

Fish-friendly hydropower at Sowton Weir — Closed compact Archimedean Screw

Improvements were also made to the fish pass at the nearby Weir. These measures will make it easier for fish to move upstream and will add to the understanding of their migration patterns. The Archimedes hydropower installation has improved the fisheries ecology of the river Teign by allowing more juvenile salmon and sea trout reach the sea. The improved fish pass at the weir means more salmon and sea trout can reach spawning grounds on the upper Teign. An automatic fish counter was also installed to count the fish numbers and species using the pass. This provides invaluable information for the Environment Agency and the Teign fishing association.

Once again we see the Ancient power of Archimedes being used for hydropower generation because if it’s fish-friendly credentials. The Archimedean Screw turbine provides a fish-friendly alternative to conventional turbines, ideally suited to low-head (1m-10m) sites, and sites with fish protection issues. Extensive fish passage tests have conclusively demonstrated that the large water chambers and slow rotation of the Archimedean Screw allow fish of all sizes, and debris, safe passage through the turbine. As a result, the Environment Agency has agreed that no screening is required.

If you are the owner of an old mill site or a potential hydro site or are a community group interested in developing a hydro project for community use please contact us here.

1 Sep, 2014 By Mary

Boland’s Mill on the Kings River, Kilkenny (1193 – 1990)

The five storey Boland’s Mill is situated in one of the most attractive mill environments in Ireland, beside the beautiful Kings River in Kilkenny.

The origins of Boland’s Mill traces back to 1193, when it was owned by Augustinian monks from Cornwall. It remained the property of the Augustinians until 1540; Cromwell had ownership at one time and gave it to a man named Holohan. By the middle of the 18^th century ownership had passed to people called Phelan who milled for many years. In 1825 Richard Hutchinson bought it and left it to his nephew, also called Richard Hutchinson, who ran the mill from 1912 to 1939 when he became ill.

Lily Hutchinson, his daughter, took over the running of the mill when her father died in 1940 and ran it successfully through the difficult war years. She married Arthur Boland in 1954 and he ran the mill until his untimely death in 1979, aged 58. The mill was idle in the years from 1979 to 1983 when Oliver Mosse leased the building and produced Kells Wholemeal between 1983 and 1987. Bill Mosse took over the running of the mill between 1987 and 1990 when it ceased milling and has been idle since.

Boland’s Mill is one of seven mills situated along the Kings River between Kells and Thomastown. Some are still standing and others are now in ruins. Although the mill has fallen into disrepair over the years the original gearing that was made from timber, the five mill stones, a large selection of the tools used during the milling of the grain and the original weigh bridge are all still intact.

Boland's Mill on the Kings River, Kilkenny — Original weigh bridge

The Mill worked on commission. The farmer owned the corn which was ground at a price per Bushel. In those days a farmer aimed to grow enough wheat to supply his family with the wholemeal for the year and enough Barley and oats to feed his cattle, horses, sheep and hens – also for the year ahead. It was an excellent system, giving security to the farmer and his household. During the war farmers were allowed to keep 1 Bushel of wheat per member of his household per year so they were never short of wheatmeal to make bread.

Harvest time was very busy in the mill. All the wheat had to be dried before it was milled and if the harvest was wet most of the barley and oats also needed drying. The grain was hauled up to be dried either in the drying lofts or in the kiln room. The grain was fed to the stones through the shoots sunk in the upper floors of the mill. Each grain demanded a different stone dressing and for fine ground grain riddling and screening was also necessary.

If you are the owner of an old mill site or a potential hydro site or are a community group interested in developing a hydro project for community use please contact us.

19 Aug, 2014 By Mary

The Cornmill at Corfad

If you travel northwards along the road between Cootehill and Ballybay you will come across an old mill wheel – the last remaining part of the cornmill at Corfad.

Patrick Watters, a native of the area penned the following piece depicting his memories of the working cornmill and how he, as a young child would travel there with his father in the early hours of the morning on a horse and cart to bring the oats to the cornmill to be ground.

The Cornmill at Corfad

If you ever travel northwards, from Cootehill to Ballybay,

You will pass by an old mill wheel, falling to decay,

It’s the last remaining relic, of an age now past and gone,

Where the farmers of the neighbourhood would go there with their corn.

I remember well long long ago when I was just a lad,

I’d go there with my father, to the cornmill at Corfad.

He’d tackle up the horse and cart and load the bags onto,

And start out early in the day, to be well up in the queue.

Sometimes we’d be first or second or maybe at the back,

But all that really mattered was to be home before the dark.

~~~

When arriving at the mill, you drove in round the back,

Where the farmers helped each other to unload the golden sacks.

The bags were hauled up to the top, to a place they called the kiln

To be dried there on a special floor, before going through the mill.

The mill was built of solid stone, and stood three storeys high,

And looking back down memory lane, it seemed to touch the sky.

Way up on top was a great big cowl, with a long projecting fin,

Which sensed the changes in the breeze, and turned it from the wind.

When all was set to go, the sluice was gently lifted to let the water flow,

To fill the buckets of the wheel, and empty out below.

~~~

That great wheel began a turning and turned the works within,

The miller started at his trade another day for to begin.

The corn it worked down through the mill starting at the top,

And when it reached the bottom, it was ready for the pot.

Sometimes a bag or two was brought to make a special brew,

The miller got the message. He knew what to do,

And knew that when the brew was made, he’d get a bottle too.

Then in the evening time when the last bag had gone in,

The sluice was gently lowered, and all was peace within.

~~~

In Summer time when things were slack it got an overhaul,

The millstones trimmed and parts renewed and cleaned from wall to wall.

Now when you stop along your way, and see that great big wheel,

It’s hard to realise now, it once ground oaten meal.

Well things are always changing, nothing now stands still,

The grass it now grows o’er the site of that old mill.

And when you stop and look. It sure would make you sad,

The wheel is all that’s left now of the cornmill at Corfad.

Written by: Patrick Watters 2002

14 Jul, 2014 By Mary

Osbaston Hydropower Turbine and fish pass ~ Revisited!

On one of our recent visits to Wales we visited the Osbaston hydropower project on the river Monnow. The project consists of two 3.6m diameter Archimedes Screw hydropower turbines. The turbines were designed to rotate at a speed of 28rpm, which produce a maximum power output of 150kW. The estimated annual power output is 670,000kWh enough electricity to power over 150 homes and gives an estimated annual CO2 saving of 288 tonnes.

A small percentage of the power generated is used to power the owners home and the remainder is sold to the National Grid. The fish pass and hydropower scheme was offically opened in 2009.

Osbaston Hydropower and fish pass ~ Revisited! — Osbaston hydropower and fishpass opened in 2009

An earlier hydroelectric power station had been on the site from 1896 and provided Monmouth with electricity, using the weir and water channels of the forge, until 1953, shortly after the nationalisation of the power grid in 1947. Landowner Ronald Kear unearthed the foundations of a 110 year old hydropower station whilst working on his property and this prompted him to consider the prospect of building a new power station as a source of renewable energy.

IMG_4887 (1024x768) — The two 75kW Archimedean Screw hydropower turbines

Alongside the hydropower scheme is the Osbaston fish pass, built in 2008 by the Environment Agency Wales so that salmon could avoid the weir and spawn upstream. The following year migratory salmon were found 20 miles (32 km) above the fish pass. The fish pass allows river-spawning fish, such as salmon, to access an extra 125 miles of river – something which they had not been able to do since Osbaston Weir was put in place in the 18th century.

The new fish pass also provided an opportunity to significantly improve the ecological quality of the water. Additional work completed by the Agency helped reduce the build up of sediment and provide freedom of movement for other species of fish, upstream and downstream. Environment Agency Wales is working to bring all rivers in Wales up to a ‘good’ standard by 2027 as required by the Water Framework Directive, a major environmental initiative to make Wales’ natural waters even better.

The fish counter has recorded several species of fish using the pass, including salmon which have not been observed in the Monnow upstream of Osbaston Weir in living memory. Not only is this positive in terms of biodiversity, but the establishment of a river as a salmon fishery can also bring major benefits to local communities through a growth in the leisure industry supported by angling.

Leat supplying the hydropower turbines with public footpath alongside

Sluice gate at Osbaston hydropower scheme

If you are the owner of an old mill site or a potential hydro site or are a community group interested in developing a hydro project for community use please contact us.

30 Jun, 2014 By Mary

Hydropower generates electricity at off-grid farm

A family living in a remote part of the North York Moors are proving that hydropower really works.

The National Trust owned farm is situated seven miles from the nearest town, surrounded by moorland, has no neighbours, no mains gas, no mains water and no mains electricity. The farmhouse was originally built in 1707 and when the family moved in in 1995 there was no central heating, electric kettle, toaster, fridge, washing machine – in fact there was no electrical mod cons of any description. Bottled gas was used for the cooker and a diesel generator operated in the evenings only.

The generator was expensive to run because of the cost of diesel (approx £5,000 per year), spare parts for the generator because it was running for so many hours every day, maintenance, filters etc .

Adding the clear panes before covering the hydropower turbine

The family contacted the electricity board about installing an electricity supply but because their farm was so remote and they were surrounded by moors the cables would have to go underground and this was just too expensive and would also have had an adverse affect on the landscape.

The stream running pass the farmhouse made hydro power seem the obvious choice for power generation but the shallow gradient of the stream initially caused problems because at the time they couldn’t find a suitable turbine for the low head site.

BonfieldGhyll2p — Photo Credit: Mannpower Consulting Ltd

They then heard about the Archimedean Screw hydropower turbine which operates at low heads heads from 1m – 10m. Mann Power Consulting Ltd brought the Archimedean Screw turbine into the UK for the first time, and has been at the forefront of supplying this equipment for hydro generation projects since 2004. After visiting an Archimedean Screw hydropower project the family decided that this was indeed a viable option for them to eventually generate electricity.

The North York Moors National Park Authority had also just started a sustainable development fund and the families’ landlord, the National Trust, were keen to tap into that. In 2007 Mannpower Consulting Ltd were engaged to design and install the Archimedean Screw.

After carrying out a feasibility study it was decided that the best option for the site was an enclosed compact Archimedean Screw hydro turbine as it would not adversely affect property downstream or wildlife. Each Archimedean Screw hydropower turbine is manufactured to be site specific. The enclosed compact allowed the turbine to be positioned underground, minimising its impact on the environment.

Three clear panels enable the screw to be monitored and also allow the workings to be visible to the public. This also allows it to be used to educate the public about hydropower and alternative energy sources.

The Archimedean Screw hydropower turbine blending into the landscape

Rated at 1.0kW and a capacity of 100 l/s and an estimated annual output of 3,500kWh the hydro turbine is predicted to save in excess of 1 tonne of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) annually. An underground cable connects the generator to the control panel in the farmhouse via the batteries and inverter located in the store near the farmhouse. The family can now operate appliances for their home especially a fridge freezer and lights at night – necessities they couldn’t have while using a diesel generator.

Extra batteries were added to the storage so that they can, if fully charged, power the farm for almost a week in the event of no water flow. The family have also installed a solar pv panel to boost their electricity and also a solar thermal panel to supply their hot water needs.

Green energy has made a huge difference to the lives of this family. Is this something you would consider doing?

28 May, 2014 By Mary

Hydropower to light up Cragside House once again!

The commissioning of the Archimedean Screw hydropower turbine at the National Trust owned Cragside House and estate has begun. In the coming weeks it will once again re-light Cragside House and enable Cragside to re-tell the story for which it is famous.

“Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity”

Cragside was built on the side of a rocky hill in 1863 as a modest two storey country lodge, but was subsequently extended transforming it into an elaborate mansion known as the “palace of the modern magician”. Lord William Armstrong was an ingenious man who was fascinated by renewable forms of energy and used his engineering genius to harness the energy of water to generate electricity.

First, in 1878, it was used to power arc lamps and then in 1880 to use Joseph Swan’s newly invented incandescent light bulbs to light the house. There was also a lift installed which was water powered! It is crammed full of ingenious gadgets – most of them still working. Cragside is well known as the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity.

On the 9th April, a century and a half after the first hydropower installation at Cragside House a new hydropower turbine arrived onsite. A 21st century, 17m long Archimedean Screw rated at 12kW and weighing several tonnes was craned into position at the southern end of Tumbleton lake and once commissioned will produce enough energy to re-light the house just like Lord Armstrong did.

Installation of the 12kW Archimedean Screw

The turbine designed and supplied by Mannpower Consulting Ltd., and manufactured by Landustrie will turn water from Tumbleton lake, the lowest of the five lakes on the Cragside estate, at an angle that allows water to pass between the lake and the burn below. As water passes through the spiral blades it causes the screw to turn, thereby harnessing the energy of falling water. The energy is then converted into electricity using a generator. The technology is well proven with over 100 installations in Europe and was chosen by the National Trust for its many advantageous features.

In comparison with most turbines the Archimedean hydropower screw makes use of an open construction and a low rotational speed. This results in a natural flow and there is no pressure build up in the entire installation. Furthermore extensive testing shows that due to the size of water chambers and the fact that there is no pressure difference fish will pass through unharmed. The Landy hydropower screw makes use of a specially designed inlet and outlet that make the screw absolutely fish friendly. The water outlet is designed in such a way for the water (and fish) to smoothly exit the screw without splashing. This also reduces the noise that water creates.

Andrew Sawyer, conservation officer at Cragside commented: “It will be a very visual demonstration of the way hydro power works, an almost sculptural sight in the landscape. Lord Armstrong was an exceptional man with an ingenious mind and the prospect of bringing his vision for Cragside into the 21st century is a dream come true. Hydroelectricity is the world’s most widely used form of renewable energy, so we are looking forward to sharing this very special part of its heritage.”

Hydropower to light up Cragside House once again — The Archimedean Screw hydropower turbine will light up Cragside House once again

The area around the screw will be landscaped to leave the screw prominent within its setting with the hope that this will add to people’s understanding of why Cragside is so special . Once the lake has refilled, the screw will be put into operation to generate electricity to re- light Cragside House. Visitors will be able to view the technology from the lake side.

Archimedean Screw Hydropower turbine ready for commissioning

The house and estate became the property of the National Trust in 1977 and was opened to the public for the first time in 1979. The National Trust are very proud of their statement “Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity” which will soon become “Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity—and it still is”

Official opening:

On the 29th July actor Robson Green turned on the screw at the National Trust property and launched the hydropower project. It was a proud day for Dave Mann of Mannpower Consulting Ltd., to see yet another one of his hydropower projects being switched on to generate clean green energy.

Dave Mann, Robson Green and Andrew Sawyer at the launch of the hydropower scheme

Dave Mann of Mannpower Consulting Ltd., and Robson Green

Sarah Pemberton, Head of Conservation for Yorkshire and the North East at the National Trust explains: “The hydro-turbine is a great example of the innovative methods we are using to achieve the highest possible standards of sustainability.

“The technology is easy to maintain due to the simple mechanics, and because it works at low speed, it’s possible for fish to pass through the turbine unharmed. The best thing about the screw is that it’s visible and we hope this will add to people’s understanding of why Cragside is so special. Visitors will be able to view the technology from the lake side.”

Patrick Begg, Rural Enterprises Director at the National Trust, said: “To install a scheme that reflects the character of one of our places so directly is unique. It not only makes economic sense but adds so much depth to the story this special house has to tell.

If you are the owner of an old mill site or a potential hydro site or are a community group interested in developing a hydro project for community use please contact us.

We design, install and commission hydropower schemes in both Ireland and the UK.

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Category Archives: Hydropower

The Cornmill at Corfad