I haven't done anything in a while as I have been waiting for the gov'ts blessing and license of occupation and water license. It looks like everything is a go, but the gov't regulators are trying to bleed me dry with all the fees associated with their approvals.
I have to pay about $750 for the application and License of Occupation (LOO) for my 3x2 meter concrete pad, as I only own land to the high water mark. The gov't owns the land from the high water mark down to the river. I also have to put down a $5k deposit to ensure that when I relinquish the land and hand it back to the gov't I will restore it to its natural state. The LOO is good for 30 years. I also have to get commercial liability insurance with 2mil minimum coverage. Don't know what that will cost yet
In addition I have to pay an annual fee for my water license based on how much water my wheel will use. Since it is low head I use lots of water. My license fees will be ~$750/year minimum. In also have to do an operational assessment for the first year of running, which means hiring a biologist to determine whether it is harmful to aquatic life.
All for 9.9 cents/kilowatt hour which is what the utility will pay me. I hope to average 2kw over the year so I will make a little over $2k annually. Discouraging... I should have went with solar... However I am pretty committed at this point and will see it through. Hopefully I can sell one of my kids for the $5k deposit to get things rolling again