SMART MINI-IDRO

User Guide
version 01

SMART Mini-Idro
installation

1) in Microsoft Excel go to Instruments/macro/protection and set the value

to MEDIUM or LOW (with high protection it does not function)
2) decompress the zip file containing the Smart Mini-Idro files in one
folder
3) open the SMART Mini-Idro_En.xls file with Microsoft-Excel
4) Click Solo lettura - Enable macros in read mode only.

SMART Mini-Idro
Software structure
SMART Mini-Idro "is a toll for
technical and economical
evaluation of mini hydro power
plants
It is an instrument of knowledge
and support in decisions
The software can be used to
assess the discharge availability,
choice of technical parameters,
evaluate energy production,
benefits and financial aspects of
mini hydro plants
Support to the pre-feasibility
project analysis
To use the programme you must
have Microsoft Excel installed in
your PC
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SMART Mini-Idro
Working Modules

Net
discharge

Total Head

FDC

Design discharge

1
DISCHARGE

Hydraulic
losses

Net Hear

2
TURBINE

Power Curve

3
ENERGY
5
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

Plant layout

4
COSTS

SMART Mini-Idro
Module discharge

SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Direct input of the FDC
Direct INPUT of the Flow Duration Curve (FDC): 21 flow values on 21
times (from 0% to 100% with step 5%).

NOTE: The Lombardia Region curve is valid only for the Northern Italy area.
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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Minimum Instream Flow (MIF)
SMART Mini-Idro allows the input of the minimum instream flow MIF (briefly
defined as the minimum amount of water that must be ensured for the preservation
of water bodies and aquatic biotic communities) through:
DIRECT METHOD: direct input of the known value of the MIF
PERCENTAGE METHOD: percentage of the average discharge calculated
from the FDC (percentage of a Q mean)
METHOD of the PO RIVER Basin Authority. Regarding the Italian Law
n.7/2002

SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Minimum Environmental Flow (MIF)
MIF : DIRECT METHOD

SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Minimum Environmental Flow (MIF)

MIF : PERCENTAGE METHOD (% of the Q mean)

SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Minimum Environmental Flow (MIF)
MIF : METHOD of the PO RIVER Basin Authority (calculation according to
the n. 7/02 Italian Law)

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Net Discharges
For each duration, from 0% to 100%, the following discharges are calculated:
Q gross: the total discharge, input in the FD
MIF: regards the value input in the MIF module
Q net: the net discharge, difference between the Q gross and the MIF

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Hydropower discharge
Direct input the Design Discharge

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Dicharge Hydropower discharge
Design Discharge, as a percentage of the Flow Duration Curve

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Discharge Utilization Curves
Presentation of the runoff and plant utilization curves

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Turbine

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Turbine Net Head Calculation
The net head is estimated from the gross head considering the continuous and
concentrated head losses
Continue head losses: assessed through the characteristics of the penstock and the design
speed
Concentrated losses: a fraction of the kinetic energy of the flow ( coefficient)

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Turbine Turbine selection
Selection of different types of turbines: Pelton, Turgo, CrossFlow, Francis, Kaplan and
others

For each turbine it is proposed a typical turbine efficiency curve

It is also possible to assign manually the turbine efficiency curve
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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy Characteristics of the plant
In this module it is possible to evaluate the power plant and estimate the energy
annual production.
The Energy Module starts with the section "Characteristics of the plant," a brief
summary of the data describing the plant: it is given the name, location, river,
design discharge, gross head and type of turbine.

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy Power
This module calculates the plant power
The turbine efficiency, the local (concentrated) loss and the maximum loss are
calculated in the Turbine Module

PMAX [kW] =

1
Q P [m 3 /s] H N TUR (Q P )
1000
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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Energy Annual Production
This module determines the power plant energy annual production.
1
E ANNUA [MWh] =
TOT (1 f )
1000

8760

P(t) dt
0

P(t) =

1
Q DER (t) H N (Q DER (t)) TUR (Q DER (t))
1000

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Costs

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Costs Investment estimate
The Costs Module has only one section name Investment estimate: it aims to
estimate the cost required for the construction of the power plant in all its
components.
Two ways are proposed by the tool:
Synthetic estimate
Correlation formulas

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Costs Investment estimate
Formulas Option
in case the user does not have
available the prices of the
individual works, or does not
know the characteristics of the
installation, it is recommended
to use the option formulas
(with equations derived from
practical cases)
WARNING:
PARAMETERS ARE
PROPOSED AS DEFAULT
BUT MUST BE VERIFIED
WITH REAL CASES IN THE
TERRITORY
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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis
The Financial Analysis module is simulating the cash flows for the life of a
plant (30 years), with respect to the expenditures and the energy production of
plant, elaborating and comparing the annual costs and benefits
You have to input the discount ( bringing up to date) rate, the management &
maintenance costs and the taxes & fees costs

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis Annual benefit
In Italy the selling price of the energy and the incentive instruments are
governed by the market, making it impossible to offer sale prices with equal
validity in the future
The designer must assign the most appropriate energy price per year of
calculation
It is possible to consider also the incomes from Green Certificates for an
assigned period

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SMART Mini-Idro
Module: Financial Analysis

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The latest Financial
Analysis section displays
the cash flow and calculates
the most representative
economic indicators

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SMART Mini-Idro
References:
Lombardia Region, Quaderni Regionali di Ricerca n.33, Disponibilit ed ottimizzazione nelluso
della risorsa idrica: Parametri per lo sfruttamento idroelettrico (1999).
RETScreen International Small Hydro Project Analysis, Minister of Natural Resources
Canada, (2001-2004)
Alterach J. et al. - Ricerca di Sistema, Valutazione a livello regionale delle risorse idriche
superficiali - Applicazione di procedure di regionalizzazione delle curve di durata delle portate medie
giornaliere nell'area montana dall'Adamello al versante meridionale delle Alpi Orobiche Rapporto
GEN21/IDRO/WP 4.1 IDROUSI/Task 4.1.2/Milestone 4.1.2.3, 1 (2005)
Peviani M., Menga R., Garofano E., Grasso F., Stella G. Ricerca di Sistema Risultati del
censimento del potenziale mini-idro e realizzazione del sistema informativo territoriale Rapporto
CESI RICERCA Prot. 7000595 (2006)
Alterach J., Brasi O., Flamini B., Peviani M. et al. Ricerca di Sistema, Valutazione della
disponibilit idrica e del potenziale di producibilit idroelettrica a scala nazionale e di bacino Rapporto CESIRICERCA Prot. 7000597 (2006)
Alessandro Davitti Engeneering Degree Thesis - Fattibilit tecnico-economica di impianti miniidro: software ed applicazioni, Politecnico di Milano, Facolt dIngegneria, anno accademico 20062007.
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SMART Mini-Idro

Contacts:
Website

www.seehydropower.eu

Julio Alterach

julio.alterach@rse-web.it

Maximo Peviani

maximo.peviani@rse-web.it

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