The authors are working on an approach - called standard modular hydropower - intended to standardize the process to develop small hydro in the U.S. and reduce costs across a variety of sites. Recent small low-head hydropower development in the U.S. has occurred at non-powered dams and irrigation canals, a significant break from historical development at sites without existing hydraulic and dam structures. The latter is termed greenfield development or new stream-reach development (NSD).
