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16-4 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of using hydropower?

16-4 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of using hydropower?. Katie Brumbaugh Sydney Lenzotti. Section Concept.

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16-4 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of using hydropower?

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  1. 16-4 What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of using hydropower? Katie Brumbaugh Sydney Lenzotti

  2. Section Concept • We can use water flowing over dams. tidal flows, and ocean waves to generate electricity, but environmental concerns, limited availability of suitable sites may limit our use of these energy resources.

  3. Hoover Dam, Neveda

  4. Syncrude Tailings Dam, Canada

  5. We can produce Electricity from Flowing and Falling water • Uses kinetic energy of falling and flowing water to produce electricity • An indirect form of solar energy (based an evaporation of water or water cycle) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StPobH5ODTw&feature=related • Water deposited at higher elevation where it can flow to lower elevations in river

  6. How to Harness • Most common approach is to build a high dam across a high dam to create a reservoir (artificial lake formed when a stream is dammed) • Some of the stored water flows through large pipes at controlled rates to spin turbines that produce electricity

  7. World Leading Renewable Energy Source used to Produce electricity • 2007- 20% of the worlds electricity • 99% Norway, 75% New Zealand, 59% Canada, 21% China, 6% US (but about 50% used on west coast) • Top 5 producers • Canada, China, Brazil, United States, Russia

  8. Untapped Potential • According to the UN, only about 13% of hydropower has been developed • Especially China, India, South America, Central Africa, and parts of the former Soviet Union • 2020 China plans to double hydropower output, build/fund more than 200 dams around the world • Brazil has 4 dams and plan to build about 70 more

  9. Untapped Potential cont. • If goals completed, current and planned hydropower projects around the world will have the electrical output of several thousand large coal burning power plant, but without the high emissions of greenhouse gases

  10. Criticism • Some analyst the use of large scale hydropower plants to fall over the next several decades as existing reservoirs fill with silts and become useless faster than new dams can be built • Growing concern over the emission of methane from the decomposition of submerged vegetation in hydropower reservoirs especially in warm climates. • Dams are the single largest source of human produced methane • As glacier melt and less water is flowing through rivers and streams less electricity will be able to be produced

  11. Microhydropower Generators • Floating turbines, each about the size of an over night suitcase • May become an increasingly important way to produce electricity • Use power of flowing water to turn rotor blades, which spin a turbine to produce electric current • Advantages • Be placed in any stream or river without altering its course • Can provide electricity at very low cost • Low environmental impact

  12. We can use Tides and Waves to Produce Electricity • Tides can cause water levels to rise and fall up to 6 meter (20 feet) or more between daily high and low tides • Dams built across costal bays and estuaries to capture energy

  13. Operating Tidal Energy Dams • La Rance on the northern coast of France • Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy • Several more countries plan to build tidal energy dam • Disadvantages include: high costs and few global sties

  14. New and Developing Technologies • 2006-2008 Verdant Power built and installed 6 underwater turbines which tapped into the tidal flow of the East River near NYC • Turbines resembled underwater wind turbines because they swivel to face the incoming and out going tides • Produce electricity efficiently • Next phase involves installing 30 turbine, if successful up to 300 more could be installed

  15. New and Developing Technologies cont. • Next phase involves installing 30 turbine, if successful up to 300 more could be installed • System similar to this powers a town in Norway • Disadvantages- systems limited to limited amounts of rivers with adequate tidal flow

  16. The Future • Trying to capture the water energy of waves along sea costs where there is almost continuous waves • Portugal- large snake-like of floating steel tubes • the up and down motion of the chains creates electricity • Powered 15,000 homes • Disadvantages: few suitable sites, high costs, and equipment could be easily corroded

  17. Tradeoffs Advantages Disadvantages Large land disturbance High CH4 emission from rapid biomass decay in reservoirs Disrupts downstream aquatic ecosystems • Moderate to high net energy yield • Large amount of untapped resources • Low CO2 emissions

  18. Summary • Water flowing in rivers and streams can be trapped in reservoirs behind dams and released to spine turbines and produce electricity • Hydro power is an indirect form of renewable solar energy. It produced 20% of the world’s electricity in 2006 • Advantages: many untapped potential resources, high net energy yield, low CO2 emissions • Disadvantages: large land disturbance, High CH4 emission from rapid biomass decay in reservoirs, disrupts downstream aquatic ecosystems • Ocean tides and waves can be used to generate electricity but the costs are high and limited locations for this technology

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