Hydroelectric generation, where feasible, has a very high return over its lifetime. Many of these systems can provide a relatively constant power supply. The Turgo wheel is a rugged bronze turbine wheel that is applicable to a wide range of elevation heads as small as 2 meters. The Pelton wheel is most useful for higher head, lower flow situations.
Losses arise within the turbine as well as from friction between the pipe and moving water.
These losses must be accounted for when evaluating power requirements. Micro-hydroelectric refers to turbines that are able to operate under low elevation head or low volumetric flow rate conditions. Elevation head and volumetric flow rate determine the water pressure and amount of water flowing and are therefore important factors in determining the feasibility of micro-hydroelectric power for a particular location. It is these conditions that determine the size of the micro-hydroelectric turbine to be used since each turbine is dependent upon the flow and head. In the Midwest, where winters are very cold and summers are often dry, streams and some rivers usually freeze entirely in the winter or dry up in the summer.