2013-12-05
Santiago de Cali, December 2013 – the first SMART kinetic turbine is installed in Colombia. The installation took place in the outflow of a hydroelectric dam in Salvajinas, Valley of Cauca. It is one of three international tests sites for Smart Hydro Power. In Salvajinas, the development of a new electrical module which combines the turbine with other forms of energy production is being tested. These sources include a 1 kW solar panel, the public grid and a diesel generator. Along with the integration of different energy sources, a new demand control system is also being implemented. These tests will ultimately expand the usage and user cases of the turbine. Because the turbine delivers base-load power, it is able to serve many purposes such as telecommunication towers, health stations, pumps for irrigation, or mechanical workshops and villages.
The site also has optimal conditions for testing due to the alternative flows behind the hydropower plant. These range between 1 – 2.5 m/s depending on the time of day, which enables the testing of the turbine at almost all power outputs. Smart Hydro Power and their partners plan to demonstrate the test site to Colombian customers soon.
