Water power can be harnessed in many ways to generate significant quantities of electricty, from tidal barrages and large dams to wave power, and is an energy source that is harnessed throughout the world. Micro hydro systems differ from large hydro power since the flows of water required are much smaller.

Micro-hydro power is the small-scale harnessing of energy from falling water and typically generates from a few hundred Watts to 100 kW. This power can be used for battery charging and usually provides power for small communities that are not grid connected.