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Hydropower

Hydropower. Casey and Lauren. What Can This Type of Energy Be Used For?. Generates / Produces Electricity. 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.

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Hydropower

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  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 • It’s 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

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