Kathmandu, September 18:

The Centre for Rural Technology (CRT) has developed a Family Hydro technology that could let rural families have electricity at their homes at a price cheaper than the Solar Home System.

CRT developed the Family Hydro based on motor dynamo that generates 100 watt electricity by using the water at home or nearby.

The newly developed system can be operated by water discharge of 1 to 1.5 litres per second and with 20 to 30 metre vertical water head.

The CRT successfully tested the technology in Nuwakot and Dhading districts last week.

Lumin Kumar Shrestha, director of the CRT, told this daily that they were encouraged with success of the technology and are planning to replicate it in other districts.

Prajwal Kumar Gautam, engineer at the CRT, said the power generated through the new technology could be adequate for a family to operate devices like bulbs, florescent lamps, cassette players, televisions and even for charging cell phone and CDMA phone batteries.

“The cost for installation of the new system is Rs 17,000, almost half of that of the Solar Home System,” he said.