Hydroelectric

power

Hydro means water in Latin so hydro power is

.made from water

What is it
Its one of the cleanest sources of energy,
and its also the most reliable and costs
the least. That means that hydroelectric
power plants are able provide electricity at
a reasonable cost to families, schools,
farms, factories, and businesses.

:How it works

:How it works
Water is needed to run a
hydroelectric powergenerating unit. The water is
held behind a dam, forming
an artificial lake, or
reservoir. The force of the
water being released from
the reservoir through the
dam spins the blades of a
giant turbine. The turbine is
connected to the generator
that makes electricity as it
spins. After passing through
the turbine, the water flows
back into the river on the
other side of the dam.

*************
It might sound odd
that we can use
water to make
electricity - they're a
dangerous
combination, right?
Actually, the water
never comes in
contact with the
electricity. The water
flowing down a river
is used to spin the
turbines inside the
.generator

The first hydroelectric power plant

in the world
On September
30, 1882, the
world's first
hydroelectric
power plant
began
operation on
the Fox River
in Appleton,
. Wisconsin

How it all started

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.

facts
Hydropower is the most important and
widely-used renewable source of energy.
Hydropower represents 19% of total
electricity production.
Canada is the largest producer of
hydroelectri-city, followed by the United
States and Brazil.
Approximately two-thirds of the
economically feasible potential remains
to be developed. Untapped hydro
resources are still abundant in Latin

Advantages of this energy

1. this type of energy is not dependent
:resource
upon the price of uranium, oil, or other
types of fuel. This makes electricity
costs lower and more stable.
2. The pollution created by
hydroelectric energy generation is
quite minimal.
3. It doesn't require many employees
to run a hydroelectric station.
6. Hydroelectric stations can operate
for many years after they are built.
7. They tend to last longer than solar
panels do.