Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET)

HPNET at a glance

A passionate collective of practitioners committed to the advocacy and advancement of sustainable small-scale hydropower for community empowerment in the Global South.

About the network

Skat Foundation supports the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET) since 2016 and has become its official host in 2023.

The growing network of practitioners is committed to the advocacy and advancement of sustainable small-scale hydropower (<1 MW) for climate resilient and equitable rural development in marginalised regions of the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

HPNET supports its members in finding solutions to policy, technology, social, economic, and environmental challenges, including turbine and control technologies, grid interconnection, business models for sustainable operation and management, financing options, productive use of energy, and catchment area protection. The network’s strengths lie on its demand-driven and output-focused approach, and on the enthusiasm and motivation of its members.

In 2022, HPNET launched the Social Enterprise for Energy, Ecological and Economic Development (SEEED) initiative, which is embedded into an accelerator programme that aims to generate impact from knowledge exchange and advocacy activities, to unlock the full potential of hydro mini-grid practitioners and communities through community-scale hydro implementation