Hydropower

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Hydropower

• The use of water to
• generate electricity.

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Hydropower to Electric Power
ElectricalEnergy
PotentialEnergy
Electricity
KineticEnergy
Mechanical Energy
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Sources of Electric Power US
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World Energy Sources
hydropower.org
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Renewable Energy Sources
Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company,
http//www.wvic.com/hydro-facts.htm
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World Trends in Hydropower
Boyle, Renewable Energy, 2nd edition, Oxford
University Press, 2003
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Major Hydropower Producers
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Uses of Dams US
Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company,
http//www.wvic.com/hydro-facts.htm
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Production Expense Comparison
Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company,
http//www.wvic.com/hydro-facts.htm
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Hydropower Production by US State
Boyle, Renewable Energy, 2nd edition, Oxford
University Press, 2003
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Hydro Development Capacity
hydropower.org
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Developed Hydropower Capacity
World Atlas of Hydropower and Dams, 2002
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Worlds Largest Dams
Ranked by maximum power.
Hydroelectricity, Wikipedia.org
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Three Gorges Dam (China)
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Three Gorges Dam Location Map
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Itaipú Dam (Brazil Paraguay)
Itaipu, Wikipedia.org
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Itaipú Dam Site Map
http//www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/geography/r
ivers/River20Articles/itaipudam.htm
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Guri Dam (Venezuela)
http//www.infodestinations.com/venezuela/espanol/
puerto_ordaz/index.shtml
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Guri Dam Site Map
http//lmhwww.epfl.ch/Services/ReferenceList/2000_
fichiers/gurimap.htm
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Grand Coulee Dam (US)
www.swehs.co.uk/ docs/coulee.html
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Grand Coulee Dam Site Map
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Grand Coulee Dam Statistics
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ExampleHoover Dam (US)
http//las-vegas.travelnice.com/dbi/hooverdam-225x
300.jpg
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History of Hydro Power
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Early Roman Water Mill
Boyle, Renewable Energy, 2nd edition, Oxford
University Press, 2003
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Early Irrigation WaterwheelMicro Run-of-River
Hydropower
Boyle, Renewable Energy, 2nd edition, Oxford
University Press, 2003
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Micro Hydro Example
Used in remote locations in northern Canada
http//www.electrovent.com/hydrofr
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Environmental Impacts
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Impacts of Hydroelectric Dams
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Ecological Impacts

• Loss of forests, wildlife habitat, species
• Degradation of upstream catchment areas due to
  inundation of reservoir area
• Rotting vegetation also emits greenhouse gases
• Loss of aquatic biodiversity, fisheries, other
  downstream services
• Cumulative impacts on water quality, natural
  flooding
• Disrupt transfer of energy, sediment, nutrients
• Sedimentation reduces reservoir life, erodes
  turbines
• Creation of new wetland habitat
• Fishing and recreational opportunities provided
  by new reservoirs

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Fish Friendly Turbine Design
www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_rd.html
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Environmental and Social Issues

• Land use inundation and displacement of people
• Impacts on natural hydrology
• Increase evaporative losses
• Altering river flows and natural flooding cycles
• Sedimentation/silting
• Impacts on biodiversity
• Aquatic ecology, fish, plants, mammals
• Water chemistry changes
• Mercury, nitrates, oxygen
• Bacterial and viral infections
• Tropics
• Seismic Risks
• Structural dam failure risks

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Hydropower Pros and Cons