The main issue in hydro is always the "head," or the distance between the top of the water and the generator. Power is derived by a combination of head and flow (the total volume of water).
In some places, the dam can be well-upstream of the powerhouse. One good example is a series of...
Yes, in most instances with most chargers you should be able to get a separate charger and attach it to your batteries. The two chargers will both charge until one stops receiving sufficient power to further charge the batteries above that point. Then the other charger will take over and...
Most utilities require new panels for grid-tie systems, and they check to see if they're new by first checking to see if the label is intact. They may do additional inspection(s) beyond that.