BlueReel - Hydropower Screening

Data Preparation

How to Gather Your Site Information

How to Gather Your
Site Information

BlueReel does not require a full engineering survey to begin a screening-level analysis. The more information you can provide, the more useful your report will be — but you can always start with the basics.

You can submit without complete data. If exact measurements are not available, BlueReel can use public-source terrain, climate, and mapping data to support the screening analysis where appropriate. The report will clearly state confidence levels, key limitations, and what should be validated next.

You can submit without complete data.
If exact measurements are not available, BlueReel can use public-source terrain, climate, and mapping data to support the screening analysis where appropriate. The report will clearly state confidence levels, key limitations, and what should be validated next.

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Required

Site Location / Coordinates

Site Location / Coordinates

The most important starting point is the precise location of your proposed site.

You can provide coordinates for the proposed intake, powerhouse, or river section being considered.

The most important starting point is the precise location of your proposed site.

You can provide coordinates for the proposed intake, powerhouse, or river section being considered.

How to collect

Google Maps

Open Google Maps and find the proposed site area. Click or tap the exact location on the map. Then copy the latitude and longitude numbers, or simply share the Google Maps link.

Google Earth Pro

Google Earth Pro can be helpful for remote or mountainous sites where regular maps may not show enough detail. If you can identify the proposed intake or powerhouse location, mark that point and copy the coordinates.

Google Earth Pro can be helpful for remote or mountainous sites where regular maps may not show enough detail.
If you can identify the proposed intake or powerhouse location, mark that point and copy the coordinates.

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Head / Elevation Drop

Head / Elevation Drop

“Head” means the vertical elevation difference between the water intake and the powerhouse. It is not the horizontal distance along the river. Even a rough head estimate is useful for early screening.

How to collect

Google Maps

Draw a path from the estimated intake point to the powerhouse location and use the elevation profile to review the approximate elevation drop and distance.

Topographic maps

Contour maps from national mapping agencies can help estimate elevation differences.

On-site GPS / altimeter apps

On-site GPS
altimeter apps

If you are on site, record the elevation near the proposed intake and powerhouse, then calculate the difference.

Important note:
Public elevation data, including Google Earth and DEM-based sources, can be useful for early screening, but accuracy may vary depending on terrain and data source. For sites with a low head, even small elevation errors can noticeably affect the output estimate. This will be reflected in the confidence level of your report.

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Water Flow & Rainfall Data

Water Flow & Rainfall Data

Rainfall data helps identify seasonal patterns but is not a direct substitute for measured river flow.
River flow depends on catchment area, terrain, groundwater, and land use. BlueReel will use rainfall as supporting context, not as a flow estimate.

Useful data includes:

• Measured river flow records

• Monthly rainfall records

• Nearby gauging station data

• Dry-season and rainy-season observations

• Local knowledge about seasonal behavior

• Previous survey or infrastructure reports

If you have multi-year rainfall or flow records, please upload them with the Order Form.
Previous hydrology, irrigation, agriculture, road, bridge, or infrastructure reports can also be useful, even if they were prepared for a different purpose.

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Site Photos

Site Photos

Photos help us understand terrain, access, river width, existing structures, and possible construction constraints.

Helpful photos include:

• River flow and river width

• Proposed intake area

• Proposed powerhouse area

• Access road or walking route

• Existing bridges, canals, weirs, or nearby infrastructure

• Surrounding slope and terrain conditions

If possible, note the month and whether the photos were taken during the dry season or rainy season.

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Existing Infrastructure & Intended Uses

Existing Infrastructure & Intended Uses

Please include any information about nearby infrastructure or how the power may be used.

Useful information includes:

• Distance to the nearest road or access route

• Distance to the nearest grid line or utility connection point

• Distance from generation site to usage point

• Required voltage or connection voltage

• Nearby village, factory, mine, farm, or facility

• Existing irrigation canals, weirs, bridges, or water structures

• Intended use: grid sale, self-consumption, off-grid, or rural electrification

Missing Data? You Can Still Submit.

Missing Data? You Can Still Submit.

Missing Data?
You Can Still Submit.

You do not need a complete dataset to request a BlueReel screening report.

If exact measurements are not available, BlueReel can use submitted site information, public-source climate data, terrain models, mapping review, and screening-level assumptions to support the initial analysis.

Where data is uncertain, the report will clearly identify confidence levels, key limitations, and recommended next validation steps— so you know exactly what to check before committing further resources.

You do not need a complete dataset to request a BlueReel screening report.

Ready to submit your site?

Submit your site information to start your BlueReel analysis.

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