Introduction to Hydropower Energy
This portion of the website will provide the reader with information and/or resources related to hydropower energy. The website does cite work from other sources and aims to capture enough information to educate the reader on hydropower energy.
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Background Information
Per Wikipedia.com, “hydropower or water power is power derived from the energy of falling water or running water, which may be harness for useful purposes”. Per Energy.gov, the alternative energy solution is not a new technology and has existed for the past 2,000 years. The Greeks were an early user of this innovation. They used hydropower energy to operate water wheels that assisted with the grinding of wheat into flour. As for electricity generated from hydropower, this concept was introduced within the last century.
“After harnessing water power for so many years, the creation of hydropower turbine began to take place around the 1700s after a French hydraulic and military enginer, Bernard Forest e Belidor wrote Architecture Hydraulique. The four (4) volume manuscript “described using a vertical-axis versus a horizontal-axis machine”. Soon after, advancements progressed led to the creation of a “brush arch light dynamo driven by a water turbine” in the 1880s. This invention was utilized to provide lighting to a theatres and storefronts in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By 1881, “a brush dynamo connected to a turbine in a flour mill provided street lighting at Niagara Falls, New York”. Finally, to provide you with information on further advancement/achievements in the hydropower sector, a short timeline from energy.gov is included in Figure 1.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropower
This portion of the website will provide the reader with information and/or resources related to hydropower energy. The website does cite work from other sources and aims to capture enough information to educate the reader on hydropower energy.
Thank you kindly for visiting our class site.
Background Information
Per Wikipedia.com, “hydropower or water power is power derived from the energy of falling water or running water, which may be harness for useful purposes”. Per Energy.gov, the alternative energy solution is not a new technology and has existed for the past 2,000 years. The Greeks were an early user of this innovation. They used hydropower energy to operate water wheels that assisted with the grinding of wheat into flour. As for electricity generated from hydropower, this concept was introduced within the last century.
“After harnessing water power for so many years, the creation of hydropower turbine began to take place around the 1700s after a French hydraulic and military enginer, Bernard Forest e Belidor wrote Architecture Hydraulique. The four (4) volume manuscript “described using a vertical-axis versus a horizontal-axis machine”. Soon after, advancements progressed led to the creation of a “brush arch light dynamo driven by a water turbine” in the 1880s. This invention was utilized to provide lighting to a theatres and storefronts in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By 1881, “a brush dynamo connected to a turbine in a flour mill provided street lighting at Niagara Falls, New York”. Finally, to provide you with information on further advancement/achievements in the hydropower sector, a short timeline from energy.gov is included in Figure 1.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropower
Figure 1 - Energy.gov Historical Time for Hydropower Achievements
Source: http://energy.gov/eere/water/history-hydropower
Hydropower Basics
To help you better understand how hydropower works, two (2) YouTube Videos have been included for your reference.
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In addition to the YouTube videos above, Energy.gov provides additional references on “Hydropower Basics” and “How it Works”. Below is a clip of the diagrams; however, visiting the actual site is better because the Energy.gov site defines the multiple components of the system and they animate the hydroelectricity process.
Hydropower Facts
- World-wide, about 20% of all electricity is generated by hydropower.
- Hydropower provides about 10% of the electricity in the United States.
- Source: http://www.wvic.com/Content/Facts_About_Hydropower.cfm
- Hydropower is the most efficient way to generate electricity. Modern hydro turbines can convert as much as 90% of the available energy into electricity. The best fossil fuel plants are only about 50% efficient. (1)
- In the U.S., hydropower is produced for an average of 0.85 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh). This is about 50% the cost of nuclear, 40% the cost of fossil fuel, and 25% the cost of using natural gas.
- Source: http://www.wvic.com/Content/Facts_About_Hydropower.cfm
- Here's how hydropower energy compare to other renewable electricity generation. Source: http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/images/charts/hydro_&_other_generation-1995-2013-large.jpg
List of Hydropower Plants
The following is a link to a list of hydropower plants worldwide.
http://globalenergyobservatory.org/list.php?db=PowerPlants&
The following is a link to a list of hydropower plants worldwide.
http://globalenergyobservatory.org/list.php?db=PowerPlants&
Conclusion
In conclusion, hydropower is the leading renewable energy. It has been used widely for decades and it produces 83% of renewable power. Additionally, "hydropower is extremely efficient, with 90% of the water's energy converted into electricity". Finally, "hydropower plants do not generate greenhouse gases, other emissions or waste"; and while construction is a capital intensive, operating and maintenance costs are low".
Source: http://www.planete-energies.com/en/medias/explanations/hydropower-leading-renewable-energy
In conclusion, hydropower is the leading renewable energy. It has been used widely for decades and it produces 83% of renewable power. Additionally, "hydropower is extremely efficient, with 90% of the water's energy converted into electricity". Finally, "hydropower plants do not generate greenhouse gases, other emissions or waste"; and while construction is a capital intensive, operating and maintenance costs are low".
Source: http://www.planete-energies.com/en/medias/explanations/hydropower-leading-renewable-energy