Wet and Wild– In the Good Way

Basic Premise The production of power through the use of falling or flowing water Most widely used alternative energy source in the world. In 2005, hydroelectricity supplied 19% of the world’s power with 715,000 MWe.

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Not-So-Basic Premise Hydroelectric power comes from the potential energy of damned water driving a turbine and generator, or kinetic energy from the water flow. The energy is derived from both the flow volume and the difference of height between the inflow and outflow. P=hrgk h= height in meters r= flow rate in m^3/s g= acceleration due to gravity k= coefficient of efficiency from 0 to 1 (more modern is better)

Diagram/ Terminology

HISTORY OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER Greeks used water wheels to grind wheat into flour Hydropower was used for milling of lumber and grain, and for pumping irrigation in the 1700s First operational hydroelectric generating station was built in Appleton, Wisconsin in Invention of the hydraulic reaction turbine caused an explosion of interest in and use of hydroelectric power In the early 1900s 40% of the United States’ electricity was produced by hydroelectric power Built in 1937, the Hoover Dam generates 130,000 kW Hydropower produces less than 10% of the current energy needs of the United States

“Green-ness” Hardly any CO2 released As should be expected, hydroelectric energy is very environmentally friendly in the atmospheric sense, although some harm to local river systems can be observed.

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