Stimulating the Market for Pico-hydro in Ecuador

Abstract

Pico-hydro (very small hydropower units suitable for a single household or a small group of households) is a comparatively cheap option and is able to be used by millions of people who presently live in un-electrified areas of developing countries where a hydro resource exists. This project has undertaken the groundwork to establish this type of development within Ecuador, by undertaking a market assessment for pico-hydro in the Andean region, developing technical capacity to install and maintain pico-hydro systems at demonstration sites and helping a small group of businesses to see the commercial opportunities arising from the sale of pico-hydro systems within the country. This paper gives the background to pico-hydro technology, outlines experiences learnt in Vietnam, discusses the opportunities for pico-hydro in the Andean region, and reports on pilot projects in Ecuador