Hydroelectric Energy

Brought to you by Ali, George, & Mohammed

HistoryNearly 2000 years ago the Greeks used water

wheels to grind wheat into flour- In the 1700's, hydropower was broadly used

for milling of lumber and grain and for pumping irrigation water

- Appleton, Wisconsin became the first operational hydroelectric generating station in the United States, in 1882, producing 12.5 kilowatts (kW) of power

Renewable vs. Non-RenewableHydroelectric – RenewableWhy? Because water is always flowing due to

gravity. And it uses the earths water cycle to generate electricity.

Water has been around for million of years. Used and reused for a long period of time.

Primary UsesELECTRICITY!!!

Hydroelectricity Source Hydroelectricity is produced by the flow of

water from precipitation from the water cycle and is pulled downstream towards the ocean, though dams by way of gravity.

Hydroelectricity is the conversion of kinetic energy (flow of water) into Electric (Conduction of turbine)

Advantages to hydroelectric power:Fuel is not burned so there is minimal pollutionWater to run the power plant is provided free by

natureHydropower plays a major role in reducing

greenhouse gas emissionsRelatively low operations and maintenance costsThe technology is reliable and proven over timeIt's renewable - rainfall renews the water in the

reservoir, so the fuel is almost always thereWater can be stored, waiting to be used in peak

times

Disadvantages to hydroelectric power:High investment costsHydrology dependent (precipitation)In some cases, flooding of land and wildlife

habitatIn some cases, loss or modification of fish

habitatIn some cases, changes in reservoir and

stream water qualityIn some cases, displacement of local

populations.

Pollution: Methane is produced from the

decompositions of plants due to the formation of reservoirs that flood river valleys. Hydroelectric dams do not burn any fuel regularly, so there is not a whole lot of pollution beside ecological waste like dead plants, fish, and sediment from land erosion from the formation of the reservoir.

World UseHydropower is the most important and widely-used renewable

source of energy.Hydropower represents 19% of total electricity production.China is the largest producer of hydroelectricity, followed by

Canada, Brazil, and the United StatesApproximately two-thirds of the economically feasible potential

remains to be developed. Untapped hydro resources are still abundant in Latin America, Central Africa, India and China.

One of the world's largest hydro plants is at Three Gorges on China's Yangtze River

The biggest hydro plant in the United States is located at the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in northern Washington.

Hydropower is the cheapest way to generate electricity today. It's a clean fuel source that is renewable yearly by snow and rainfall.

Hydroelectric Use in the World

NewsBrazil generates roughly 80% of tis electricity

from the hydropower plants. Lack of rain in recent months have caused blackouts and sweltering heat weeks.

Severe droughts have led to decrease in water inflow to Hydroelectric power industries over the past few years, limiting the ability to generate electricity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj4dZM4SIls

Sourceshttp://water.usgs.gov/edu/wuhy.htmlhttp://education.nationalgeographic.com/educati

on/encyclopedia/hydroelectric-energy/?ar_a=1

Georges Brainshttp://

www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/how-hydroelectric-energy.html

http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/hydro.html

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/hydropower**