Hydropower rules specify a power generation requirement from the power plant at reservoir or a system of reservoirs. When evaluated, the hydropower rules determine the minimum flow that must be released through the power plant to produce the required energy given the plants generating capacity, the hydraulic head, and the generation pattern. The various hydropower rules ("Figure: Hydropower Rule Types") each provide a different way of specifying the generation requirement:

Figure: Hydropower Rule Types


  • The Power Guide Curve rule allows you to specify the required generation as a function of storage.
  • The Schedule rule allows you to specify the requirement as a function of date.
  • The Time Series Requirement lets you specify the requirement directly through an external time series.
  • And the System Schedule rule allows you to define the generation requirement in the same manner as the Schedule rule but the System Schedule rule is applied to multiple reservoirs so that together they can operate to meet the generation requirement specified in the rule.

The data requirements for each of these rules will be described in the following sections.

To define or edit a Hydropower rule:

  • Create a new rule as described in "Creating New Rules". Be sure to:
    • Select the Power Plant as the release element in the Operates Release From: selector.
    • Select the appropriate Hydropower rule type from the Rule Type selector.
  • Or, if you want to edit a Hydropower rule you have already created, select it from the Zone-Rules Tree.
  • The edit panel of the Operations tab of the Reservoir Editor will display the Hydropower rule editor for the specific Hydropower rule type. The name and description of the rule will appear in the Hydropower-Type Rule and Description fields.