Residents of Donegal County, Ireland, will soon get their evening light from water-powered street lamps. LH Ecotech’s “hydro light” is being installed for a test run on a footbridge over the River Finn in Ballybofey. The €3,000 light works when water flowing downstream passes through a 110 watt turbine, which then charges batteries to run the 30 watt LED.
The micro-hydro turbine is not yet installed, as officials are waiting until water levels drop. And while the turbine can generate enough energy to power three lights, Ballybofey is sticking with one for now.
Each light will also be outfitted with a small solar panel as a back-up for the summer and when water levels in the river are low.
Photo CC-Licensed by Flickr user Luza
Ariel Schwartz was formerly the editor of CleanTechnica and is a contributor at Fast Company, Inhabitat, Triple Pundit, SF Weekly, and NBC Bay Area Online. A graduate of Vassar College, she has previously worked in publishing, organic farming, documentary film, and newspaper journalism. Her interests include permaculture, hiking, skiing, music, relocalization, and cob (the building material). She currently resides in San Francisco, CA.
