Hydropower
Casey and Lauren
What Can This Type of Energy Be
Used For?
• Generates / Produces Electricity.
What is the Renewability of this
Type of Energy/Resource?
• Water is a Renewable source,
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however the amount of water is
being reduced at a dangerous rate
by human activity.
If the hydropower plants could be
used near the oceans and used
saltwater as well as freshwater
more energy would be able to be
produced for a longer amount of
time.
What is the Cost of Using this Type
of Energy/Resource?
• The Average cost of building a hydropower plant is
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$2,000 per Kilowatt.
The average size of a plant is 125 KW.
Concluding that the average cost would be around $
250,000.
However, hydropower costs as little as one-tenth of the
cost of a photovoltaic (solar-power) system that is
producing the same amount of energy.
Hydropower is the most efficient way to produce energy
and can convert as much as 90% into electricity where
as fossil fuels are only 50% efficient.
What are the positive aspects of
using this resource/type of energy?
• Hydropower is almost free due to the
averaging out of the amount of energy
received with the cost of building the
plant.
• Produces virtually no waste and little
pollution.
What are the negative aspects of
using this resource/type of energy?
• Hydropower, however, can alter the
surrounding environment. For example,
the impact on the migration of fish.
• Also, there is an impact on water quality
and flow. This is due to the fact that the
hydropower plants cause low dissolved
oxygen levels in the water.
When is the energy/resource expected to
be easily accessible to the general public?
• Hydropower has been available in the
United States since 1880.
• It has been a popular form of energygeneration for the past century.
Where is it currently being used
(both US and worldwide) and to
what degree?
• Projects are being planned in China, New
Zealand, South Korea, India (7400 kw),
Britain (8,600), Russia (10,000).
How does this energy/resource affect
carbon emissions, carbon sources, carbon
sinks, and climate function?
• Due to the fact that hydropower must
have reservoirs, some greenhouse gases
come from the reservoirs. However, the
greenhouse gases that are produced
represent the gases already apparent in
the carbon cycle.
Where Plants Are Located.
Parts of A Hydropower Plant.
• Dam. Raises the water level of the river to
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create falling water. Also controls the flow of
water. The reservoir that is formed is, in effect,
stored energy.
Turbine. The force of falling water pushing
against the turbine's blades causes the turbine
to spin. A water turbine is much like a windmill,
except the energy is provided by falling water
instead of wind. The turbine converts the kinetic
energy of falling water into mechanical energy.
Generator. Connected to the turbine by shafts
and possibly gears so when the turbine spins it
causes the generator to spin also. Converts the
mechanical energy from the turbine into electric
energy. Generators in hydropower plants work
just like the generators in other types of power
plants.
Transmission lines. Conduct electricity from
the hydropower plant to homes and business.
How A Hydropower Plant Works.
Hydropower in the United States.
Facts
• Hydropower accounts for 6% of the total US electricity
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generation and 71% of generation from renewables in
2007
It’s one of the oldest sources of energy’
Worldwide, about 20% of electricity is generated by
hydropower
US is the 2nd largest producer (Canada is the 1st)
Hydropower does not produce GHGs or other types of air
pollution
It prevents the burning of 22 billion gallons of oil, or 120
million tons of coal each year
Sources
• Miller Lite
• Plan B 3.0
• www.Wikipedia.com
• www.niwa.cri.nz/pubs/wa/ma/13-
4/hydropower
• www.wvic.com/hydro-works.htm
• www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources
/renewable/water.html