Natel Energy

Abe Schneider, Natel co-founder and CTO, will present at the vgbe energy e.V. / Verein für ?kologie und Umweltforschung (V?U) Expert Event on River Management and Ecology in Salzburg next week. We're honored that Abe has been invited to speak at this event, which gathers leading voices in river restoration and hydropower to discuss research, innovations, and policy. This year's program includes multiple presentations on fish passage, a topic close to our hearts at Natel. Catch Abe's talk on Friday morning at 9:00! ?? Advancements in turbine design for improved fish survival? ?? 9:00 CET, Session 3, Lecture 8 ?? Friday, 28 March ?? Messezentrum Salzburg The event runs alongside the RENEXPO INTERHYDRO trade fair, and we're also looking forward to this excellent opportunity to connect with colleagues across the hydropower and river management sectors. #hydropower #ecohydrualics #rivermangement #riverrestoration #withhydropower #fishpassage #RENEXPO

Next week Gia Schneider, Natel co-founder and CCO, and Jessica Penrod, Sr Manager of Business Development, will be heading to the desert to talk water at the CEATI Hydropower Conference. ???? One advantage of FishSafe turbines that we're looking forward to sharing is the ability to provide long-term cost savings. Our FishSafe? turbine designs feature thick, forward-swept blades that allow fish to pass downstream directly through the turbine and that provide significant advantages in reducing hydro-abrasive erosion. By delivering exceptional downstream fish passage survival and up to 5x longer blade life in sediment-laden environments, Natel’s FishSafe? turbines provide a smarter, more cost-effective path to plant modernization. At Natel we are continually working to expand the reach of FishSafe? turbines to include more species, more geographies, more power density. Our FishSafe? RHT designs were recently recognized by the UK’s Environment Agency as part of their Best Achievable Eel Protection guidance, and our most recent test in California found 100% survival for rainbow trout passing through a FishSafe? turbine with a tip speed of 27.6 m/s (62 mph or 99 km/h!). Stop by booth 210 to chat with Gia and Jessica and learn more about the fast pace of new developments at Natel. See you soon! #CEATI #hydropower #conference #waterpower #fishsafe #upgrade #turbine #damsafety

We are excited to share that the UK’s Environment Agency has confirmed the inclusion of Natel's FishSafe RHT within their Best Achievable Eel Protection guidance! This evidence-led decision follows an in-depth review of multiple reports and scientific evidence, including a 2022 peer-reviewed study conducted with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that found 100% immediate and 48-hour survival for eels up to 66 cm (26 in). The agency also reviewed results from a 2023 study of eel passing through a Natel FishSafe turbine operating with tip speeds up to 28 m/s—that’s 63 mph or 101 km/h! That study documented 100% immediate and 99.2% 48-hour survival in conditions that closely match real-world hydropower operations. For more on Natel’s fish passage studies and peer-reviewed papers, please visit our website: https:https://lnkd.in/dc5wRawf The UK Environment Agency is responsible for protecting and enhancing England’s environment, including its migratory fish populations. Their assessment has concluded that Natel’s hydropower turbine design will pose minimal risk to entrained migrating eels. Freshwater eels play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems, but their populations have declined dramatically in recent decades. The European eel is now critically endangered, facing a greater risk of extinction than the giant panda or blue whale, according to the IUCN. Historically, they made up over 50% of fish biomass in some European freshwater environments, feeding a host of other species like otters and herons and providing valuable stock for commercial fisheries. The causes of eel decline are multifold, but one major challenge for eels has been navigating hydropower turbines, which can cause significant injury or mortality to eels that are migrating downstream. With the right design, however, hydropower turbines can protect these important fish while also producing baseload renewable energy. In addition to allowing >99% downstream passage survival for eels, Natel’s designs can directly replace existing turbines or turbine runners, allowing plant owners to upgrade to FishSafe equipment with minimal additional cost and no sacrifice of output or efficiency. When FishSafe turbines satisfy downstream fish passage requirements, they offer the lowest total cost of ownership and fastest return on investment over conventional turbines paired with conventional fish protection measures. A huge thank you to the Environment Agency for their recognition of our work—we’re excited to start implementing new projects in the UK and to make a real difference for eels around the world. #eel #fisheries #hydropower #rivers #sustainability #withhydropower #waterpower

It's World Engineering Day, a wonderful opportunity to recognize the people who are shaping a better future through innovation and tough problem solving! Originally launched by DiscoverE in 2016, World Engineering Day was expanded in 2020 as UNESCO and WFEO - World Federation of Engineering Organizations joined the celebration. This year’s theme, “Unleashing the power of engineers to advance the Sustainable Development Goals,” emphasizes the need for sustainable engineering solutions in renewable energy, water management, and ecosystem restoration. One way that innovative engineering can help us tackle climate change and biodiversity loss is by rethinking and improving the ways that we produce and use energy. At Natel, we engineer FishSafe turbines, which generate baseload power while protecting aquatic organisms, helping hydropower to work in balance with nature. Our engineering team has developed proprietary simulation tools that allow us to accurately model fish passage survival as we create a turbine design for a specific plant, and in numerous real-world studies, FishSafe turbines have demonstrated 98-100% through-turbine survival for fish passing downstream. Natel is fortunate to have many talented engineers on our team, and we are so appreciative of their skill, dedication, and enthusiasm. Pictured are Ryan Scribner, Simone Lassar, Johannes Santen, Gregor Cadman, Alex Wickersham, Sterling Watson, Brit Wylie, Owen Hale, Schuyler McAlister, Ian Gagnon, PE, and Abe Schneider at our headquarters in California. Jue Wang and Jin Zhao contribute invaluable engineering remotely. Several of our other team members—Bill Malus, Gia Schneider, Nick Arnold, and Emrat Nur(Tatiana) Marzan—have backgrounds in engineering that inform the work they do at Natel. Thank you to our whole team! And thanks to UNESCO, WFEO, and DiscoverE for highlighting the essential role of engineering in addressing global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development. #WorldEngineeringDay #sustainabledevelopment #engineer #hydropower #sustainability #withhydropower #mechanicalengineer #civilengineer #environmentalengineer

Today is World Wildlife Day, a day to celebrate the essential role that wildlife plays in ecosystems, economies, and communities worldwide. According to the United Nations, more than 1 million species are at risk of extinction globally, and over half of the world’s GDP depends on nature. Biodiversity loss isn’t just a concern for environmentalists—it’s a direct risk to the economic stability and livelihoods of humans worldwide. The theme of World Wildlife Day this year is "Investing in People and Planet," highlighting the growing financial benefits to supporting biodiversity conservation. One way to invest in people and the planet is by upgrading existing hydropower plants to improve their relationship with aquatic organisms. Hydropower provides 24/7 renewable energy, but many facilities can disrupt fish migration and river ecosystems. Modernizing these plants with better downstream passage solutions, like Natel's FishSafe turbines, allows them to reconnect rivers while also helping to meet increasing electricity demands with emission-free, baseload power. Integrating nature-positive technology into renewable energy systems can help balance conservation and development as we consider how best to invest in a sustainable future for our planet and the people on it. #WWD2025 #WorldWildlifeDay #biodiversity #hydropower #withhydropower #sustainable #waterpower #baseload #energy #FishSafe

We’re looking forward to the Northwest Hydroelectric Association's Annual Conference this week—if you’re attending, be sure to say hi to Jessica Penrod, Senior Manager of Business Development. NWHA’s Annual Meeting is always a great opportunity to engage with industry peers, exchange knowledge, and stay up to date on the latest developments in Northwest hydropower. This year we're especially excited about the strong lineup of educational sessions and the emphasis on formal networking opportunities. Jessica has been with Natel for over nine years and is a passionate advocate for water, both in and out of the office. She's both enthusiastic and knowledgable about sailing, crabbing, and managing sustainable hydropower development—she’s definitely someone you’ll want to chat with. See you February 24-26 at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Seattle. #hydropower #NWHA #conference #Seattle #water #fishsafe

This Valentine’s Day, we’re showing some love to rivers and to the fish and communities that depend upon them. ?? ?? Hydropower is a vital source of baseload energy, powering homes and industries worldwide. Traditional hydropower turbines can harm fish and disrupt river ecosystems, ultimately harming the people who rely on them, but at Natel we know that reliable power production can work in tandem with nature. Natel's FishSafe? turbines efficiently generate power while also enabling through-turbine fish passage and maintaining river connectivity. By replacing aging turbines with FishSafe? designs, we can boost energy production, improve fish survival, and help restore river ecosystems—all while using existing infrastructure. The world can always use more love! With the right innovations, we can sustain both our love for maintaining biodiversity and our love for more renewable power. #valentinesday #love #rivers #withhydropower #fishsafe #fisheries #hydropower #baseload #power #renewables

Did you know that the unique blade shape of FishSafe turbines reduces hydro-abrasive erosion, in addition to dramatically improving fish passage survival? Natel's FishSafe turbine blades are designed with thick, rounded leading edges, which: ?? Enable 98-100% fish passage survival—eliminating the need for fine screens, nightly shutdowns, or costly fish passage measures. ??Reduce sediment impact velocity, minimizing abrasion. ?? Show up to 78.5% less wear in high-sediment conditions compared to conventional blades—translating to a 5x longer blade life and extended maintenance intervals. For more details, read the white paper authored by Staff Mechanical Engineer Johannes Santen and former Staff Mechanical Engineer Kelsey Seto: https://lnkd.in/gkYaX-TA Hydropower operators know that sediment-laden rivers can take a serious toll on turbine blades, leading to increased maintenance, higher OpEx, and reduced efficiency over time. Reducing hydro-abrasive erosion with FishSafe turbines can mean fewer outages, lower costs, and consistently higher turbine efficiency. FishSafe designs are feasible for Francis and double-regulated Kaplan and propeller turbines. All types of FishSafe designs can operate at the same speed and power point as conventional turbines. Natel works with turbine manufacturers you already know and trust to realize these designs! #hydropower #FishSafe #turbines #waterpower #abrasion #turbine #engineering #baseloadpower

We've got answers to all of your questions about FishSafe turbines! We've also got some amazing fish passage visualizations and videos to share. https://lnkd.in/gw_P5AGX Watch CTO Abe Schneider, Principal Engineer Sterling Watson, VP of External Affairs Kate Stirr, and VP of Business Development Pat Donahue in this public webinar, in which they discuss: ?? How Natel engineers FishSafe? turbines, and how our model results compare to experimental results ?? Many of the studies that have shown 98-100% fish survival through FishSafe? turbines, including videos of that fish passage ?? How FishSafe? turbines simplify plant operations and reduce costs when compared to other fish passage mitigation strategies ?? How modernizing existing hydropower plants with FishSafe? turbines fits into the global push to increase renewable power production while also protecting biodiversity https://lnkd.in/gw_P5AGX #FishSafe #hydropower #withhydropower #waterpower #engineering #mechanicalengineer #cfd #fishpassage #fisheries #renewableenergy

In 2024, we broadened our design range to include?FishSafe designs for Francis-style runners, and we removed our design limit on head height. In 2025, we’re excited to?expand the adoption of FishSafe turbines and to continue?advancing sustainable hydropower. Check out our latest newsletter for more details and photos: https://lnkd.in/eZHuEWvs A few more recent highlights:? ?? The?FishSafe?Monroe Drop?Hydro Project?closed out the 2024 season with?94% availability and 100% turbine availability, making it the project's most productive season to date! ?? We published a new white paper about the exceptional abrasion resistance of FishSafe blades, which can translate to a?5x longer blade life?in sediment-laden environments,?reduced maintenance costs and outages, longer asset life, and consistently higher turbine efficiency over time. ?? The USPTO selected Natel for a Patents for Humanity: Green Energy Award for our FishSafe Restoration Hydro Turbine patent. ???MCJ Newsletter?published a piece by Gia Schneider about the?once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize hydropower and protect fish, and?Sterling Watson spoke to?Hydro Leader?about?why developing FishSafe turbines is rewarding work. ? ???We presented at Hydro 2024 about?double-regulated?FishSafe-Kaplan turbines?and we led a tour of the nearby FishSafe Sauerbrunn Hydropower plant. We're looking forward to a full lineup of events in February and March! If you're not yet a newsletter subscriber, you can sign up! ?? https://lnkd.in/g6dxVtTf #FishSafe #hydropower #withhydropower #waterpower #engineering #renewableenergy #cleantech #greenenergy #renewables