HERI – Research Actions Database

Welcome to the HERI Research Actions Database. The database provides details of past and present research actions related to all aspects of hydropower. The database has been structured following the categorisation developed for the HYDROPOWER EUROPE research and innovation agenda, and Strategic Industry Roadmap.

The database contents have been collated from a variety of organisations working on research actions across all sectors of the hydropower industry. The information has been share freely and is available as open access. You can search the database or add details of new initiatives to the database via the buttons below.

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Demonstrator for flexible Small Hydropower Plant

Description

The aim of this project is to show how small-hydropower plants (SHP) can provide winter peak energy and ancillary services, whilst remaining eco-compatible. The outcome of recent research by SCCER-SoE partners will be applied to a pilot facility provided by FMV with the goal of providing operational flexibility to the SHP owner and therefore harvest additional revenues. The addition of flexibility will be done by testing infrastructure and equipment or operational adaptation measures, assessing their impact in terms of outflows, electricity output and revenues. The lessons learned from this Demonstrator will be publicly presented and used as a benchmark for the SHP sector.

Organisations

  • HES SO Valais - Coordinator
  • ETH Zurich - Partner
  • École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - EPFL - Partner

Funding

  • National funding

Specific Funding Sources:
SCCER-SoE

Level of Action:

National: SWITZERLAND

Applications

Small-hydro, Run-of-the-River

Keywords

Digitalization, Ecology, Economics, Flexibility, Grids, Hydraulics, Maintenance, Modeling / Simulation, River management, Sediments, Sustainability, Turbines

Areas of Research

Research and Innovation Agenda

  • Enhancing flexibility of run-of-river power plants and using existing run-of-river cascades for energy storage

Strategic Industry Roadmap

Last Updated: 30/07/2026 12:18

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SmallFLEX

Project Number

SI/501636

Start Date
2017
End Date
2021

Budget Range
€100,000 - €500,000

Project website

 

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