Hydropower

1
Hydropower

• Casey and Lauren

2
What Can This Type of Energy Be Used For?

• Generates / Produces Electricity.

3
What is the Renewability of this Type of
Energy/Resource?

• Water is a Renewable source, 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.

4
What is the Cost of Using this Type of
Energy/Resource?

• The Average cost of building a hydropower plant
  is 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.

5
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.

6
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.

7
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 energy-generation
  for the past century.

8
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).

9
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.

10
Where Plants Are Located.
11
Parts of A Hydropower Plant.

• Dam. Raises the water level of the river to
  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.

12
How A Hydropower Plant Works.
13
Hydropower in the United States.
14
Facts

• Hydropower accounts for 6 of the total US
  electricity generation and 71 of generation from
  renewables in 2007
• Its 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

15
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