Conclusion

Hydroelectric power has always been an important part of the world's electricity supply, providing reliable, cost effective electricity and will continue to do so in the future. Mini micro and small hydro are non-consumptive generators of electrical energy, utilizing a renewable resource, which is made continually available through the hydrological cycle. These hydro power stations provide an ideal method of producing electricity in rural and mountainous area where the demand is scattered and relatively low, provided that the water resources are available and that the ground has some raised areas.

The technologies and method used to develop and deploy DSS to aid in hydro energy assessment make, work easier for a decision maker. The possibility of quickly accessing and processing large spatially databases over high speeds offer a tremendous improvement. In spite of rapidly advancing computer technology and the proliferation of software for decision support, relatively few DSS have been developed for assessment of hydro energy. This DSS is a User-friendly GUI, which provides user with all needs to estimate and calculate hydro energy at different locations with different conditions for Micro, Mini and Small Hydro plants. The entire framework is designed in a way such that, user is provided with helpful tips and context-sensitive help options.

Acknowledgments

We thank Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Indian Institute of Science for the infrastructure support and financial assistance. Mr. Mahesh Babu assisted in the initial stages of GUI development. Mr. Rosario, Mr. Raghavendra Rao and Mr. Deepak Shetti assisted us in the field data collection. We are grateful to Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Jha for proof reading the document and for suggestions.