The Standard Modular Hydropower manufacturers landscape is emerging around a collaborative ecosystem involving technology developers, national laboratories, research institutions, and project developers working to bring SMH from concept to commercial deployment.

Technology Developers

Littoral Power Systems (LPS) is a leading manufacturer developing the h-Modulor system, a prefabricated standard modular hydropower solution . LPS has been at the forefront of SMH development, with a U.S. Department of Energy project to investigate the potential savings in greenfield hydropower project costs. Their modular approach uses stacks of engineered products that can be selected, configured, and installed at a site. The h-Modulor system supports facilities from 0.5-25 MW and has been designed for multiple deployment scenarios, including new stream-reach development, non-powered dams, and existing site upgrades .

Research and Development Partners

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the primary research institution driving the SMH concept . ORNL's Standard Modular Hydropower project focuses on:

• Standardizing design, review, regulation, manufacturing, operations, and maintenance

• Developing frameworks for modular facility design

• Creating decision support tools like waterSHED for environmental and economic optimization

• Validating environmental performance of modular systems

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) collaborates with LPS and ORNL on SMH development, providing expertise in environmental analysis and technology validation . Alden Research Laboratory contributes to turbine and passage module design. Other partners include GZA GeoEnvironmental (civil engineering), Rickly Hydrological (hydro instrumentation), and McMillen Jacobs (hydropower engineering) .

Project Developers and End Users

The SMH approach has attracted interest from project developers and utilities seeking cost-effective small hydro solutions. Avista has engaged with LPS on site costing and evaluation . Kootznoowoo, Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation, has supported SMH development for remote Alaskan communities, where the approach offers significant advantages for islanded communities seeking to reduce diesel dependence.

Market Applications

LPS's SMH technology is being deployed across multiple project types :

• Upgrade of existing sites (0.5-10 MW): The fastest market opportunity, targeting 7 GW of potential capacity

• Non-powered dams: 12 GW of potential, $31.5 billion investment opportunity

• Greenfield sites: Particularly relevant for remote communities and new stream-reach development

Current Projects

LPS has a portfolio of active projects demonstrating the SMH approach :

• J.W. Flannagan Dam, Haysi VA – 1.4 MW

• Walker Mill Dam, Schuyler VA – 750 kW

• Scott's Mill Hydro, Lynchburg VA – 4.5 MW

• Burt Dam, Olcott NY – 1.1 MW

• Little River, Troy NC – 350 kW

As the Oil & Gas EPC Market is expected to achieve robust growth by 2035, the principles of standardization and modularity that drive SMH success are also being adopted across the broader energy and industrial sectors, creating new opportunities for manufacturers and project developers.