EVALUATION AND OPTIMAL LOCATION'S SELECTION FOR MINI HIDRO POWER PLANT'S CONSTRUCTION ON RIVER VRBAS

Abstract

The presented paper is part of a wider research related to the application of water, as a renewable source, which was made in the frame of master program with energy efficiency's topic. This paper analyzes aspects of the mini hydro power plant's construction (with installed power of 0.5 MW) for the energy-ecological development of the rural area and the application of renewable energy sources without negative impact on the environment. An analysis of 3 different locations on river Vrbas was performed using the AHP method and a selection of the most suitable location for the construction of this type of facility was made. At the beginning of the paper, the significance of the mini hydroelectric power plant is described in relation to the large, and later, the potential for the construction of facilities of this type in the wider region of the Republic of Srpska and BiH. The aim of paper is to show the importance of producing electricity using water as a renewable energy source and optimal location selection using the AHP method.