Definition
Basic
When flowing water is captured and turned into electricity, it is called hydroelectric power or hydropower. There are several types of hydroelectric facilities; they are all powered by the kinetic energy of flowing water as it moves downstream. Turbines and generators convert the energy into electricity
Commodification
Turbines catch the waters energy with their propeller-like blades. Three main dominant turbine designs have developed to reflect the vast ranges of head levels (from as little as a few meters to more than 2,000m in mountain regions) and water flows. All the turbines turn the flow of water into mechanical motion to allow electricity generation.
Hydro power varies in size from large scale, state run projects such as the three Gorge Dam to small scale micro-generation projects. In all there are three key types of hydro-power production; Run of the river, pump storage and conventional. Run-of-the-river hydro power plants have a low head without reservoir capacity, in plants with pumped storage, water can be moved up to a high reservoir for grid energy storage and released back and Conventional hydro power stations utilise dammed water with a reservoir.
History
Origin
Humans have been harnessing water to perform work for thousands of years. The Greeks used water wheels for grinding wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago. Besides grinding flour, the power of the water was used to saw wood and power textile mills and manufacturing plants.
The evolution of the modern hydropower turbine began in the mid-1700s when a French hydraulic and military engineer, Bernard Forest de Bélidor wrote Architecture Hydraulique. In this four volume work, he described using a vertical-axis versus a horizontal-axis machine. During the 1700s and 1800s, water turbine development continued.
In 1880, a brush arc light dynamo driven by a water turbine was used to provide theatre and storefront lighting in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and in 1881, a brush dynamo connected to a turbine in a flour mill provided street lighting at Niagara Falls, New York.
Popular Use
Appleton in Wisconsin became the first and fully-operational hydroelectric energy station in the United States back in 1882. Over the next twenty years 300 hydroelectric power stations or plants that would be fully- operational all over the globe.
Money Involved
Turnover
Given that most hydro electric companies and projects are state owned it is difficult to establish precise figures as to annual revenues. However, to give an idea of the amounts of money involved in the industry, in 2007 approximately $91 billion was invested in renewable energy worldwide. Hydropower accounted for up to $20 billion of this sum.
Use
Basic
Water is a key resource to support life and is widely used in many industries including; Agriculture, heavy industry and electricity generation as well as of course for domestic and municipal consumption. Water management is a key issue for governments and for international bodies especially around regions where the resource is scarce or flows across national borders.
Production
Step 1 - Construction
A typical hydro plant is a system with three parts: an electric plant where the electricity is produced; a dam that can be opened or closed to control water flow; and a reservoir where water can be stored. The water behind the dam flows through an intake and pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine spins a generator to produce electricity.
The amount of electricity that can be generated depends on how far the water drops and how much water moves through the system. The electricity can be transported over long-distance electric lines to homes, factories and businesses.
Step 2 - Transportation
Engineers can control the flow of water through the turbines to produce electricity on demand. Quick release of water allows the technology to balance intermittencies and help meet peak demand fluctuations.
Step 3 - Distribution
Hydroelectricity is connected to the grid for distribution for consumption. The grid plays a crucial role in connecting various hydroelectric outputs often at difficult geographical locations with different output patterns.
Challenges
Displacement
It has been estimated that between 40-80 million people have been displaced due to the building of dams for the purpose hydropower generation, in some cases resulting in a loss of livelihood for those relocated.
Environmental
There have been several instances where dams built for the generation of hydropower have had a negative environmental impact with, for example, the loss of ecosystems and species due to reduced water quality.
Practical
Hydropower generation is also vulnerable to changes in flow patterns of rivers. For example, if the river flow decreases significantly, it can lead to a reduction in the energy generated by a hydropower plant.
Possibilities
Economics
The running costs of a hydroelectric plant are extremely low given that the substance utilised, water, is free. Costs are especially reasonable when plants are designed to be multi-functional. For example, plants can also serve a water storage function, keeping water which can be drunk or used for irrigation.
Environmental
Although some emissions of carbon dioxide do occur during the construction of plants, when in operation the release of such pollutants is minimal as no fossil fuels are burned in the power generation process. Furthermore, as hydro power uses water without depleting it, it qualifies as a renewable source of energy.
Durability
Plants can last a long time, with an average lifetime of between 50-100 years.
Reliability
Hydroelectric dams are extremely reliable. They can be turned on and off very quickly, which makes them useful for balancing loads in electricity grids. Because the dam runs off the flow of water of a natural watercourse there is little short of an extended drought or deliberate sabotage that can render the dam unable to produce electricity.
Key Countries
Installed Hydro Power Capacity
(in terawatt hours/year, 2008)
1. China - 652.05
2. USA - 413.2
3. Brazil - 387.078
4. Canada - 368.2
5. Norway - 104.5
Key Companies
Market Capital
(in million USD)
1. China Yangtze Power - 20,133
2. Verbund - 14,913
3. Rushydro - 14,147
4. Tractebel Energia - 11,090
5. NHPC - 6,651
Prospects
Outlook
Total generation from renewable resources will increase by 3% annually, and the renewable share of world electricity generation will grow from 18% in 2007 to 23% in 2035. Hydroelectricity leads the field. Of the 4.5 million GWh of new renewables added over the projection period, 2.4 million GWh are attributed to hydroelectric power.
Sustainability
Global Compact & CSR
The hydro energy field is by nature closely linked to the Profit, people, planet with the traits and focus of renewable energy in general. However, large scale projects tend to have damaging effects on river ecosystems. Rivers containing large scale hydroelectric dams such as the Nile, Yangtze and Mekong are all dealing with downstream ecosystem losses as well as displaying large populations of people and submerging historical artefacts.
Due to most large scale hydro power companies being state owned they are not part of the global compact with CSR policies.
Miscellaneous
Electricity
In the U.S., hydropower produces enough electricity to serve the needs of 28 million residential customers. This is equal to all the homes in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, North and South Dakota, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Norway produces more than 99% of its electricity with hydropower. New Zealand uses hydropower for 75% of its electricity.
Transition to Globalisation
White Sturgeon
Over the past century, White Sturgeon populations throughout their range have been adversely affected by over-fishing, construction of hydroelectric dams, dyking and drainage projects, and human competition for food such as salmon and eulachon.
Globalisation > Economy > Foodstuffs > Fish > Fisherie > Freshwater » Sturgeon
Transition to Tools
The business case for climate change: choosing the right path - Mexico
Mexico is beginning to be a major proponent of climate change. President Felipe Calderon is pushing the issue on the country’s agenda. The country’s national goal is to reduce emissions to 50% of 2002 levels by 2050. Mexico wants 7.6% of total installed generation capacity to come from renewable sources (excluding large hydroelectric projects) by 2012 — up from 3.3% in 2008.
Tools > Institutions > National > Mexico > Dom. Policies > Economy > Energy > Renewable
Transition to Actors
Hydropower Reform Coalition
The Hydropower Reform Coalition is a diverse consortium of more than 150 national, regional, and local organizations with a combined membership of more than one million people. We represent stakeholders from canoeists to conservationists to lake homeowners with an interest in restoring rivers that are impacted by hydropower dams. Together, our efforts have protected or restored thousands of river miles, thousands of acres of watershed land, and countless opportunities for boating, fishing, and other forms of recreation
Actors > Business > Sustainability
