Linden farmer constructs mini-hydro plant

…to power his chicken pens, home

By Alva Solomon

One may be surprised when Jarad Atkinson, a farmer of Amelia’s Ward in Linden, Region 10, relates how he constructed a mini-hydropower plant using an old ceiling fan, parts of a bicycle, an old Singer machine stand, and old car tyres, but given the availability of technology online, one would understand how a man who is determined to make use of his environment created the apparatus in 2016.

Atkinson has been a farmer for several years. “I am a farmer by choice,” he told Guyana Times recently. In his down time from the farm, he does construction work as a means to supplement his family’s income. Back in 2016, this skilled Guyanese looked at several videos on Youtube, and researched which motors can produce higher energy and how to connect the device directly or via batteries to his chicken pens.

“It took about five months of research,” he said, noting that building the apparatus and connecting the motor to the system were the main challenges he encountered. He started working on the power source in 2016, when he and his father worked tirelessly on their poultry farm at Amelia’s Ward, Linden.
He said there is a creek which runs close to the farm, and according to him, he has a knack for things mechanical and electrical, although his area of study was in the agriculture field. He said he studied at the Guyana School of Agriculture years ago, and has ever since been in the field of farming.
Atkinson said he decided to find a means of producing electricity besides solar power, which he and his family have been using at the farm. “So, I went on the internet and I learn everything from there,” he said of his hydro-power project.
He said he needed a steady flow of electricity to power the lights at his chicken pens, and he and his father started working on the idea of the hydro-power. He said that, as he researched the idea, he started to collect the parts needed for the apparatus, and those included the ceiling fan motor.
“I built the motor for the hydro using a ceiling fan motor, and I stripped it and used it after trying and testing it a few times,” he said.
Atkinson said he then went online on Ebay, where he searched for the best magnets to boost the energy output of the hydro project. “Magnets, when connected across wires, generate electricity,” he said, noting that he needed neon magnets for his plant.
He then welded an old car wheel with cut-out tyre flaps onto an axle, and connected it to an old Singer sewing machine stand. After mounting the motor on the machine stand, he connected it to an old bicycle wheel sprocket.
Atkinson then connected a belt to the car wheel, which made rotations when placed in the water. The rotating car wheel and the motor produced the electricity. He said a 12-volt battery stores the power.
The entire system was mounted on a platform he built over the creek, which he noted is small and cannot produce his desired output of 300 to 500 watts. Although it produced enough power for his lights at the pens, his home and the TV, the amp output is low, Atkinson related.
“The voltage was high, but the amps were low,” he said, and this he noted may be because of the type of motor he used.
Atkinson said he sourced a 200-watt motor online, and this was specially designed for hydropower. It was an improvement from his ceiling fan motor. “It worked better than the ceiling fan,” he said, noting it produced the electricity which powers his lights, radio, and of course his chicken pens. He said he placed a series of 3-watt bulbs in the pens, and these have lasted a few years since 2016.
On a sad note, Atkinson said his father passed away a few months after he started the hydropower project in 2016, and he noted that after that period, he continued developing the system, which ran continuously through to 2020, when he decided to make a few changes to the system.
“The concept of it is that I can calculate the amount of power I can get from the creek,” he said, noting that he can estimate the amount of power he can get from a running water source.
He said he can further enhance the system so that it can power a freezer continuously, but this would require additional resources. He surmised that a smaller, narrower wheel, unlike the car rim, can work well on a faster flow of water.
At the moment, he is working to enhance the system, and he noted that it is a cheap source of electricity. He said if another farmer wants to invest in a similar project, he is willing to provide his knowledge, adding that his aim is to assist others.
“If someone wants to invest in it, we can see what is feasible and how well it would work out for them,” Atkinson said.
As regards his project, Atkinson said the greatest expense he incurred was on acquiring his motor, which he noted cost him around US$200. He said he is eyeing a few more efficient motors which may cost a bit more, but, according to him, it would be a good investment.
“It got 100-watt motors which can produce 500-watt output of power, but then the water flow has to be enough to power the system,” he added.
“I am always studying how to get electricity from the creek,” the self-taught inventor noted, as he reiterated that he would be happy to assist others who may wish to build their own mini-hydropower project.
“At least people would get electricity. For me, (the joy) is to share the knowledge,” Atkinson said, noting that it would make him extremely happy.