Dams for small hydropower in Scotland

Over recent years government incentives have led to the development of numerous small hydropower schemes in the Scottish Highlands of which five are described in this paper. The schemes have Francis or Pelton turbines with installed capacities between 0.7 and 2.0 MW with gross heads of up to 220 m. The dams are between 4.7and 13.6 m high and of various types.
The dams are all “smart dams” in that they have sophisticated control systems and are operated remotely. The paper describes the control systems and the choices made to optimise the schemes. It reviews construction problems encountered, including those attributable to working in a harsh environment, and experience gained from operating the completed schemes.