L5.2: Hydroelectric Energy

• HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY

  ● Largest share of worldwide electricity production.

  ● The power of the hydroelectric plant depends on the size of the generator and the size of the water reservoir.
• HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY

  Advantages

  ● Renewable

  ● No production of pollutants and no need for fuels

  ● Cost-competitive and Reliable

  ● Base-load power

  ● Flood control

  ● Water storage above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand.
• HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY

  Disadvantages

  ● Expensive to build

  ● Difficulty in finding suitable sites for dams.

  ● Impact on the local environment such as changing wildlife habitats and forcing people who live near the dam to relocate.

  ● Dam failures may be catastrophic

  ● Not free of greenhouse gas emissions
• Types of Hydroelectric Power Plant

  ● Impoundment

  ● Pumped Storage

  ● Diversion
• Types of Hydroelectric Power Plant

  ● Impoundment

  ○ The most common type of hydroelectric power plant is an impoundment facility. An impoundment facility, typically a large hydropower system, uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. The water may be released either to meet changing electricity needs or to maintain a constant reservoir level.

  ○ Taller upstream means higher electricity generated.
• Types of Hydroelectric Power Plant

  ● Pumped Storage

  ○ Another type of hydropower called pumped storage works like a battery, storing the electricity generated by other power sources like solar, wind, and nuclear for later use. It stores energy by pumping water uphill to a reservoir at a higher elevation from a second reservoir at a lower elevation.
• Types of Hydroelectric Power Plant ● Pumped Storage ○ When the demand for electricity is low, a pumped storage facility stores energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. During periods of high electrical demand, the water is released back to the lower reservoir and turns a turbine, generating electricity.
• Types of Hydroelectric Power Plant ● Diversion ○ Sometimes called run-of-river, the facility channels a portion of a river through a canal or penstock. It may not require the use of a dam