Sumber energy alternatif ramah lingkungan dan dapat diperbaharui (renewable energy) seperti pembangkit listrik tenaga surya, tenaga angin dan pembangkit listrik tenaga air, layak untuk dikembangkan di Indonesia. Pada system pembangkit tenaga air, dikenal adanya istilah pembangkit listrik tenaga mikrohidro (PLTMH), yaitu pembangkit listrik yang mempunyai kapasitas produksi listrik di bawah 100 KW. Penelitian mengambil lokasi di PDAM kota Malang bertujuan memetakan potensi yang dimiliki pada jalur distribusi dan bak pelepas tekan (BPT) PDAM kota Malang. Disamping itu lokasi BPT dimanfaatkan sebagai lokasi pembangunan PLTMH dengan potensi listrik terbangkitkan sekitar 10MW. Melalui penelitian ini, dibuat sebuah alat untuk optimalisasi ELC Ballast Load berbasis fuzzy logic controller (FLC) pada sistem PLTMH. Dengan mengimplementasikan parameter algoritma Fuzzy yaitu tegangan refrensi, error dan delta error, maka parameter tersebut terkomputasi untuk menghasilkan sinyal kontrol melalui mikrokontroler ATMEGA 16. Hasil pengujian di lapangan dengan generator 3kW, beban lampu dan heater sekitar 1400W dan menggunakan ELC-fuzzy mendapatkan peningkatan performance daya 12,56% dengan kestabilan tegangan berkisar 190-230 VAC. Daya optimum kestabilan daya dan tegangan diperoleh mulai dari 80-980 Watt.

Green energy as an alternative sources for renewable energy such as solar power, wind power and hydroelectric power, worthy to be developed in Indonesia. Terminology of hydropower system, the introduction of the term micro-hydro power plant (MHP), that is power plant which has a production capacity below 100 KW electricity. Research and study took place in PDAM Kota Malang, East Java, Indonesia has purposed for maping the potential distribution channels and Water Release Chamber (BPT) PDAM Kota Malan. Related with the research, the location of BPT were used as the location of the MHP with electric potential awakened around 10kW. On this research, created a tool for optimizing the ELC Ballast Load-based fuzzy logic controller (FLC) on the MHP system. By implementing the fuzzy algorithm parameters are voltage references, errors and the delta_errors, it were computed and calculated to generate control signals through ATMEGA microcontroller16. The test results on the field-site with 3kW generator, lights and heater load, it yielded about 1400W and using ELC-fuzzy gain performance improvement 12.56% and the power stability of the voltage range 190-230 VAC. The most optimum power and voltage stability could has reached from 80-980 Watts.

Kata Kunci : Mikrohidro, Bak Pelepas Tekan, ELC, Fuzzy Logic