Hydropower 101

hydropower hydropower or hydroelectricity refers to the conversion of energy from flowing water into electricity it is considered a renewable energy source because the water cycle is constantly renewed by the Sun one of the first uses of hydro energy was for mechanical milling such as grinding grains but today modern hydro plants produce electricity using turbines and generators the mechanical energy created by moving water spins rotors on a turbine this turbine is connected to an electromagnetic generator which produces electricity when the turbine spins there are two main types of hydroelectricity production dams and run of river hydro dams utilize the potential energy from dammed water to produce electricity a dam is a large barrier constructed to raise the level of water and control its flow the elevation created by the dam creates gravitational force for turning the turbine when water is released some dams also contain an additional reservoir at their base where water is stored to be pumped to the higher reservoir for release when electricity is in demand this is referred to as pumped-storage hydroelectricity production is run of river hydro runoff River still uses turbines and generators but relies on natural water flow rates of rivers diverting just a portion of the water through turbines because run of river hydro is subject to natural water variability it is more intermittent than dammed hydro there are various sizes of hydro plants that produce electricity large hydro greater than 30 megawatts small hydro 100 kilowatts to 30 megawatts and micro hydro less than 100 kilowatts the Hoover Dam in the United States is a whopping 2074 megawatts which is enough to serve 1.3 million people of all renewable energy sources hydropower holds largest share of worldwide electricity production hydropower has several benefits it is a cost competitive form of electricity even though the initial building cost can be high it is quite reliable compared to other renewable options and pairs well with other sources as it can be used as base load power in some cases dammed reservoirs can also help with flood control and be a reliable water supply for communities there are also some concerns with hydropower especially when it comes to large dams damming a river has a major impact on the local environment changing wildlife habitats blocking fish passage and often forcing people in riverside communities to move out of their homes in addition dam failures can be catastrophic claiming the lives of those living downstream hydro plants are also not completely free of greenhouse gas emissions as with most forms of energy carbon dioxide emissions happen during construction particularly due to the large quantities of cement used and plant matter in the flooded areas makes methane another greenhouse gas as it decays underwater that's hydropower you

Channel: Student Energy

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Keywords: energy, climate change, sustainability, sustainable energy, Hydropower (Industry), water, dams, River, Power

Id: q8HmRLCgDAI

Length: 3min 12sec (192 seconds)

Published: Sun May 17 2015