Hydro-Electric Power

Hydro-Electric Power

Worldwide, Hydro-Electric Power plants produce about 24 percent of the world's electricity and supply more than 1 billion people with power. Hydropower or Hydro-Electric Power is electricity generated using the energy of moving water, usually originating in hills and mountains which create streams and rivers that eventually run to the ocean.

Hydro-Electric Power

Hydro-Electric Power is the most significant and clean renewable energy source. Also it doesn't cause global warming because it doesn't releases dangerous greenhouse gases. Hydro-Electric Power can be used anywhere in the world where there's falling water. The first hydro-electric power plant was built at Niagara Falls in 1879 and in 1881 hydropower was used to light the street lamps for Niagara Falls.

Hydro-Electric Power

In 1882 the world’s first hydro-electric power plant began operating in the United States . Hydroelectricity, from the Greek word’ hudor’ meaning water, is energy from water. Hydro-Electric Power is the cheapest way to generate electricity today. One of the oldest sources of energy was Hydro-Electric Power. Hydro-electric power stations can successfully function for a very long time.

Hydro-Electric Power• Advantages Once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free.

• No waste or pollution produced.

• Much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power.

• Water can be stored above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand.

• Hydro-electric power stations can increase to full power very quickly, unlike other power stations.

• Electricity can be generated constantly

Hydro-Electric Power

• Disadvantages• The dams are very expensive to build.

However, many dams are also used for flood control or irrigation, so building costs can be shared.

• Building a large dam will flood a very large area upstream, causing problems for animals that used to live there.

• Finding a suitable site can be difficult - the impact on residents and the environment may be unacceptable.

• Water quality and quantity downstream can be affected, which can have an impact on plant life

Hydroelectric power: Summary

• • Hydro-electric power means getting energy from flowing water

• Usually we build a dam, and let the water turn turbines & generators as it goes through pipes in the dam

• Renewable

• No pollution, no fuel needed, no waste

• Expensive to build

• Building a dam means flooding a lot of land