Hydropower: Renewable Energy In The United States

Hydropower or hydroelectricity is one of the more mature forms of renewable energy technology and can be found in some form in over 160 counties ("Hydro Energy", 2016). Power is generated when the kinetic energy of flowing water from sources such dams, rivers or waterfalls is directed through water turbines which in turn create electrical energy. There are over 120 hydropower stations though out Australia generating 8% of total energy generation ("Hydropower", 2016).

The U.S. energy policy is not sustainable in that a vast majority of the energy consumed comes from finite resources like oil, coal, and natural gas. While the continued use of these sources pollutes and contributes to global warming an even larger issue is emerging for the future generations of the earth, what to do when all fossil fuels have run out or come to the point where their extraction and development is economically unfeasible? There is no doubt that renewable energy will have to become the primary source of power for the U.S. and the world at some point in the future and increased research, development, and use of these technologies now will

Is hydropower the liberator of America? Unlike fossil fuels, hydropower allows for renewable resources to be taken advantage of, while producing energy. This cost effective, environmentally friendly, renewable, and safe, energy source entitled hydropower can replace fossil fuels.

created is what counts. For hydropower, water needs to have a strong current, preferably downwards. Without this there would be no impact on the object that needs to be operated. Therefore, pressure must be applied. Pressure is applied when a high amount of water pulled down by gravity makes an impact, which can turn machines like water wheels and other energy built machines.

that are bringing the world closer and closer to global warming. As of right now, America’s economy is mostly dependent on destructive fossil fuels for its energy supply. Our country is producing a quarter of the world’s pollution. Usage of fossil fuels has increasingly contributed to the CO2 emissions, which is polluting our environment. It is destroying natural habitats and causing an increase in health problems. If our harmful methods continue, our planet will eventually become uninhabitable. Fossil fuels are considered a nonrenewable resource, which means we are required to find a new and clean renewable energy source. These new energy sources must be readily available for the world’s energy demands. Our vision should focus on environmentally friendly and efficient energies such as wind and solar power. Becoming more dependent on wind and solar power would mean having an infinite amount of energy and create more job opportunities, which would help the world’s economy as well.

Humans have made significant discoveries in utilizing the countless benefits of water, one of the most important being the ability to use water to perform work. This is the concept of hydropower. Hydropower is using the energy of moving water to create power. This clean and renewable method of power generation is used all throughout the globe, and accounts for a small percentage of global electricity demand. Hydropower hasn’t always existed as the large scale dams that are abundant today. Hydropower technologies have been slowly evolving for many centuries.

The nation’s current energy situation is in bad shape. We have nearly depleted the planets resources of fossil fuels that are non-renewable. Energy4Me.org defines nonrenewable resources as are energy sources like petroleum, propane, natural gas, coal and nuclear power. These resources have taken millions of years to

Fuel price seems to be the subject that always makes headlines on a regular basis. The United States is the biggest consumer of energy in the world. Lucas Davis, a Berkeley Professor conducted a study in 2013 on global oil consumption and found that the average American consumes more than 300 gallons of gasoline annually. The amount is at least 200 gallons more than other developed countries such as Germany, and France. (Davis, 2013) The high consumption forces Americans to rely on foreign fuel sources since domestic energy is simply not enough to satisfy the thirst. Rising fuel price coupled with fuel shortage scare are often a common concern for every American, thus there needs to be an invention to stretch the supply in case of disaster.

Hydropower is a alternative energy sources that makes electricity using water, this process goes from mechanical to electrical . This form of energy is a transfer from mechanical to electrical energy. Hydroelectric power is very useful source of alternative energy, if this market keeps growing, it could be the solution to a clean and mostly environmentally friendly power source. The most common source for generating hydroelectric power is dams. There are an estimated 57,000 large dams around the world producing tons of electricity for the people in the area. Many countries use hydroelectric power, China leads the way with the country producing over 856.4 billion kilowatts the second is Brazil, and then Canada in third place.

When the topic of hydroelectric energy comes up many people wouldn’t know exactly what it is, or what it does. So what exactly is hydroelectric energy or more exact what does it do? Hydroelectric energy is one of the oldest power sources on the planet, generating power when flowing water spins a wheel or turbine. It was used by farmers as far back as ancient Greece for mechanical tasks like grinding grain. Hydropower is also a renewable energy source and produces no air pollution or toxic by-products. When most people guess what of hydroelectric, they think the Niagara Falls which was the site of the country’s first hydroelectric generating now a little history which supposedly according to the website the facility was built in 1881 when a man name Charles Brush connected a generator to turbines powered by the falls and used the electricity to power nighttime lighting for visiting tourists. America’s first commercial hydropower facility was built in 1882 in Appleton, Wisconsin powering lighting for a paper mill and multiple homes. But every state uses hydropower for electricity, and some states use a lot of it and according to the website it explained that over 70 percent of Washington State’s electricity comes from hydropower, and 11 states get more than 10 percent of their electricity from hydropower. Hydroelectricity provides about seven percent of the electricity generated in the United States and about half of the electricity from all renewable sources.

The idea of Hydropower was invented indeed by the Greeks but the actual Francis Turbine was invented by James B. Francis. The Francis Turbine is an efficient modern way to get hydroelectricity. "It is mostly used turbine all over the world as its efficiency is greater than all other turbines. There is an effective use of water pressure and velocity, it is now an American Standard Turbine and its efficiency is nearly 94%. "(Saipaven, paragraph 5).”The Francis Turbine has these components, a spiral casing, guide or say vanes, runner blades, and a draft tube"(Francis turbine, paragraph 3). "The river's original potential energy (which it has because it starts from high ground) is turned into kinetic energy when the water falls through a height. The kinetic energy in the moving water is converted into mechanical energy by a water turbine. The spinning water turbine drives a generator that turns the mechanical energy into electrical energy."(How Turbines Work| Impulse and Reaction Turbines, paragraph 7). Then once the energy has gone through the generator it is sent to electrical companies who give the houses or small businesses energy under the command of the government. (FAQ, paragraph 1).

Humans have been harnessing the rivers for millennium. Water mills were built to help make flour and were used as a source of power for early industrial endeavour. However, it wasn’t until the early nineteenth century when a french engineer named Benoit Fourneyron created one of the first turbines. Over twenty years later an American engineer created one of the first water turbine based on Fourneyron.

Hydroelectric power is the oldest energy source. From a small water-wheel to a massive dam, humans have been used many of them for a long time. Since the principles of the technology in hydroelectric plant are relatively simple and using flowing water, it is one of the most widely used, as key energy source worldwide, and supplying electricity much like at the national scale in many counties. While many large-scale hydroelectric dams continue to be built in many parts of the world, it is unlikely U.S. will add more of them in the future. One of the reasons is the arising consensus of its environmental impacts to the natures. Unlike a small-scale hydroelectric dam, a

* WHICH TYPE OF HYDROELECTRIC SCHEME WOULD BE MOST USEFUL AND DESIRABLE FOR INDIA AND WHY?

Similarly, hydrokinetics has a very long history as a green energy source. It was first used in the year 200 BCE when watermills and water wheels were created. Presently, hydrokinetics is used for generation of clean energy from river and ocean currents with any harm on the natural life of aquatic animals. Wind energy also has