A Trickle Charge For Your Home:
Beck Mickle Hydro Ltd in Partnership with Lancaster University.
Local inventor and electrician lan Gilmartin has redesigned the water wheel for the
21st century to provide renewable inexpensive electricity from even tiny streams
without harming fish or contributing to global warming. This unique patented
technology makes use of recycled plastic and can even provide power from becks that
are no more than a trickle. It is envisaged units that are scalable will be sold as white
goods that can easily be approved and installed before simply being plugged in.
Following a referral from Business Link Cumbria, lan has been working with the
Enterprise and Business Partnerships (EBP) Team of Lancaster University's
Environment Centre to assess the environmental impact of this technology, identify its
market potential and strengthen its patent protection.
The environmental impact assessment focused on the use of food-grade recycled
plastics within the water wheel, to support a possible demonstration at the National
Trust's St Catherine's site in Winder-mere. This was contracted out to CookPrior
Associates Ltd, a local consultancy experienced in such assessments, which identified
a low risk of any organic chemicals leaching from the plastics to be used, but
recommended a series of leaching trials to ensure that no unforeseen problems arose.
Through a variety of literature searches, internet searches and personal contacts with
organisations such as the: NERC, Environment Agency and Land Registry, the EBP
team have identified several reports providing information on potential sites for low-
head hydro generation and the proportion of the UK meeting minimum gradient and
flow requirements.
However, further work remains to be done, in particular the development of a
comprehensive business plan to successfully attract investors. Therefore, a team of
four MBA students undertaking a business planning module in the University's
Management School, have been recruited. The team have enthusiastically accepted
the challenge of pulling together the market information so far obtained and
producing a first draft business plan for delivery in mid December.
During the business planning project, EBP have continued to investigate a means of
actively identifying potential customers, rather than relying solely on passive internet
based advertising. This has now led to discussions with the University's Geography
Department regarding the possible development of an automated system for analysing
1 in 10,000 scale maps and providing the postcodes of potential customers for use in
targeted mail shots, possibly along with their electricity bills. EBP are also working
closely with lan using the group's patent and intellectual property experience, to
strengthen Beck Mickle Hydro's patent position and ensure appropriate
confidentiality agreements are in place across their numerous contacts.
Beck Mickle Hydro have also been working closely with the Lancaster University
Renewable Energy Group (LUREG) to evaluate their technology against siphon
technology LUREG are developing as an alternative means of low-head hydroelectric
generation. LUREG, which has significant expertise in low head hydroelectric
generation in both tidal and non-tidal environments have adopted lan's technology
and are working closely with him to establish a number of demonstration sites for
both technologies.
The EBP team with the financial support of the NorthWest Development Agency and
Higher Education Innovation Fund helps companies across the NorthWest to access
the environmental and science expertise of Lancaster University. This is
accomplished via company visits to identify areas where assistance would be
beneficial, small pieces of free consultancy, technical and business based student
projects and facilitating the formation of affinity groups between companies to
resolve common issues through collaborative research partnerships. The EBP team
also serve as the prime contact for the Lancaster Environment Centre, which is the
largest of its kind in Europe and brings people together from across the university
together with the NERC's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
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