# Developing an Environmentally-Friendly and Fish-Saving Hydropower Turbine with Abe Schneider, Co-founder and CTO of Natel Energy

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2022-09-15
- Length: 47m
- Episode: 9
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-15-developing-an-environmentally-friendly-and-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine-with-a
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/18394rz8-abe-schneider-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine

## Summary

Abe Schneider, Co-founder and CTO of Natel Energy, explains how his company designs fish-safe hydropower turbines to mitigate the environmental impact of existing dams. He details the mechanical engineering behind their blade geometry—specifically thick, slanted leading edges—and the manufacturing challenges of producing utility-scale composite and metal blades. Schneider also discusses the regulatory drivers for adoption, the ecological importance of migratory fish like eels and salmon, and the potential for pumped storage hydropower.

## Chapters

- [0:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-15-developing-an-environmentally-friendly-and-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine-with-a#t=3) Introduction: Abe Schneider and Natel Energy
- [6:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-15-developing-an-environmentally-friendly-and-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine-with-a#t=391) The Environmental Impact of Hydropower on Fish
- [15:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-15-developing-an-environmentally-friendly-and-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine-with-a#t=951) Blade Geometry and Fish Survival Physics
- [31:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-15-developing-an-environmentally-friendly-and-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine-with-a#t=1908) Manufacturing Composite and Metal Turbine Blades
- [35:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-15-developing-an-environmentally-friendly-and-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine-with-a#t=2146) Regulatory Drivers and Market Adoption
- [39:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-09-15-developing-an-environmentally-friendly-and-fish-saving-hydropower-turbine-with-a#t=2391) Future Innovation: Upstream Tech and AI Forecasting

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Natel Energy (company)
- Timkin (company)
- McCaig (company)
- Google X (company)
- Upstream Tech (company)
- Natural Systems Design (company)
- Kaplan turbines (product)
- Propeller turbines (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How to build more hydropower](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-04-20-how-to-build-more-hydropower) (Catalyst)
- [87. Turbine Innovations For A Greener Future](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-09-13-87-turbine-innovations-for-a-greener-future) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [232. Turbine Innovations For A Greener Future [Rerun]](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-11-04-232-turbine-innovations-for-a-greener-future-rerun) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Building inference data centers on the high seas](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-05-28-building-inference-data-centers-on-the-high-seas) (Catalyst)

## Citing this page

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