Research topics  /  Environmental solutions and technology

Environmental solutions and technology

Water flow, water temperature, ice conditions and water quality change in regulated rivers with hydropower production. It changes the physical conditions in the river and affects the livelihoods of those who live there. The aim of the researchers in work package 4, Environmental design, in HydroCen is therefore to develop knowledge and innovative technology to make hydropower production as sustainable as possible.

Frode Fossøy (NINA) collects a water sample from Nidelva

High-tech environmental design

In HydroCen, environmental design has been upgraded and expanded to be used for more species than salmon, and to include people's use of rivers and waterways.

Development of new environmental technology will be able to provide better and more cost-effective monitoring of the state of the environment in regulated waterways. Environmental DNA is an innovative genetic tool that can be used to map biodiversity using a water sample.

In HydroCen, Environmental DNA has been used together with more conventional methods to, among other things, map whether thresholds in the river Nea act as migration barriers and affect the benthic fauna. Genetic methods can also be used to estimate population size by using kinship analyzes to examine the number of fish that contribute genetic material to the next generation (Close-kin mark–recapture (CKMR)).

Another type of technology that is already important for cost-effective monitoring of waterways is remote sensing. By using LIDAR data in combination with sonar and aerial photography, we can map watercourses with regard to different types of habitats for fish and increase the understanding of the fish's use of the watercourses and the effects of watercourse regulation.

The researchers used the river Nea as a case study to develop the method, here is the final report and here you can read more about how they combined high-tech methods such as environmental DNA, laser, satellites and drones, together with biological investigations. Cooperation with the power company and local interests also strengthened the project.

FACTS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Environmental design is a method that makes a diagnosis of the river, and then finds the right "medicine". This involves, among other things, investigating bottlenecks for the production of fish in the watercourse and identifying and implementing measures that can improve the livelihoods of fish.

Environmental design for salmon was developed in the research center CEDREN and is being further developed for several species and habitat types in HydroCen.

Here is the Environmental Design Handbook for salmon

The card deck method for balancing the environment and power

In the AlternaFuture project, a card-deck method was developed in which different scenarios were created with combinations of power plant projects and environmental projects in order to weigh power against the environment and thus in sum be able to assess how to get more power and at the same time have positive effects on the environment in the watercourse.

The card-deck method for weighing up environmental design methodology is an important tool for making hydropower more sustainable. The adjustable hydropower will play an important role in the future power system flanked by wind and solar energy. By upgrading and/or expanding existing hydropower plants, we will be able to get more power out of the existing hydropower system with minimal new land interventions.

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RESEARCH RESULTS

HANDBOOKS AND TOOLS

PUBLICATIONS

Utvidet miljødesign i demovassdrag Nea
Line Sundt-Hansen, Torbjørn Forseth, Atle Harby, Terje Bongard, Frode Fossøy, Ingerid Julie Arnesen, Berit Köhler, Markus Annti Mikael Majaneva, Rolf Sivertsgård, Helge Skoglund, Margerte Skår & Håkon Sundt (2021)


Bruk av fjernmålingsdata for kartlegging avhabitat
Håkon Sundt, Knut Alfredsen, Jon Museth & Torbjørn Forseth (2021)


Bruk av satellittbilder for elvebunnskartlegging
Håkon Sundt, Knut Alfredsen & Atle Harby (2021)


Bruk av fjernmålingsdata for analyse avterskelendringer
Berit Köhler & Håkon Sundt (2021)


AlternaFuture - Final Report

Vereide Kaspar, Birger Mo, Torbjørn Forseth, Leif Lia, Arne Nysveen, Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug, Linn Emelie Schäffer, Ana Adeva Bustos, Line Sundt-Hansen, Eirik Øvregård, Pål Glimen, Trygve Hesthagen, Margrete Skår & Torbjørn Kristian Nielsen (2020)

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About HydroCen

We are a research center for environmentally friendly energy.

Researchers will deliver knowledge and innovative solutions to Norwegian hydropower.

The goal is for the research to contribute to Norwegian hydropower being able to meet complex challenges and opportunities in the future's renewable energy system.

Norwegian University of Science and technology (NTNU) is the host institution and main research partner in HydroCen together with SINTEF Energy and the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA). HydroCen has around 50 national and international partners from research, industry and administration.

About the Knowledge Hub

The goal of the Knowledge Hub is to collect and make available the knowledge from the research in HydroCen so that the results can be used directly by the hydropower industry or in further research, thereby helping to ensure value creation and societal benefit.

Newsletter from HydroCen

We regularly send out newsletters with research results and news. Please register here:

CONTACT

RESEARCH RESULTS

HANDBOOKS AND TOOLS

PUBLICATIONS

Utvidet miljødesign i demovassdrag Nea
Line Sundt-Hansen, Torbjørn Forseth, Atle Harby, Terje Bongard, Frode Fossøy, Ingerid Julie Arnesen, Berit Köhler, Markus Annti Mikael Majaneva, Rolf Sivertsgård, Helge Skoglund, Margerte Skår & Håkon Sundt (2021)


Bruk av fjernmålingsdata for kartlegging avhabitat
Håkon Sundt, Knut Alfredsen, Jon Museth & Torbjørn Forseth (2021)


Bruk av satellittbilder for elvebunnskartlegging
Håkon Sundt, Knut Alfredsen & Atle Harby (2021)


Bruk av fjernmålingsdata for analyse avterskelendringer
Berit Köhler & Håkon Sundt (2021)


AlternaFuture - Final Report

Vereide Kaspar, Birger Mo, Torbjørn Forseth, Leif Lia, Arne Nysveen, Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug, Linn Emelie Schäffer, Ana Adeva Bustos, Line Sundt-Hansen, Eirik Øvregård, Pål Glimen, Trygve Hesthagen, Margrete Skår & Torbjørn Kristian Nielsen (2020)

MORE RELEVANT TOPICS

About HydroCen

We are a research center for environmentally friendly energy.

Researchers will deliver knowledge and innovative solutions to Norwegian hydropower.

The goal is for the research to contribute to Norwegian hydropower being able to meet complex challenges and opportunities in the future's renewable energy system.

Norwegian University of Science and technology (NTNU) is the host institution and main research partner in HydroCen together with SINTEF Energy and the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA). HydroCen has around 50 national and international partners from research, industry and administration.

About the Knowledge Hub

The goal of the Knowledge Hub is to collect and make available the knowledge from the research in HydroCen so that the results can be used directly by the hydropower industry or in further research, thereby helping to ensure value creation and societal benefit.

Newsletter from HydroCen

We regularly send out newsletters with research results and news. Please register here:

NEWS AND BLOG POSTS

Using environmental DNA to determine how hydropower affects biodiversity in rivers

Author: Juliet Landrø

Researchers from HydroCen have taken over 400 DNA samples from Norwegian rivers. The aim is to analyze as many as 800 samples nationally to investigate how various forms of hydropower affect species living in the river. Ultimately, the goal is to help the hydropower industry produce more sustainable renewable energy.

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