Environmental scienceLesson 1 of 1 in the course Renewable energy and resources

Hydropower: Systems, Impacts, and Global Energy Role

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Hydroelectricity converts the energy of moving or stored water into electricity. This lesson introduces its role in modern energy systems and traces its development from early water-powered machinery to large generating stations.

Hydroelectricity, also called hydroelectric power, is electricity generated using hydropower. In a typical station, moving water turns a turbine, which drives a generator. Hydropower supplied about 15% of the world's electricity in 2023, or nearly 4,210 TWh. It generated more electricity than all other renewable sources combined and more than nuclear power.

All flashcards

Penstock
A large pipe that carries water from a reservoir to a turbine.
Head in hydropower
The vertical height difference between a water source and its outflow.
Pumped-storage hydropower
An energy-storage method that pumps water uphill and later releases it through turbines.
Run-of-the-river hydropower
Hydropower that uses available upstream flow with little or no reservoir capacity.
Conduit hydropower
Hydropower that recovers energy from existing water-delivery infrastructure.

Quiz questions

  1. About what share of global electricity did hydropower supply in 2023?Answer: About 15%.
  2. What happened at the Vulcan Street Plant in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1882?Answer: It began operating as a hydroelectric station with about 12.5 kW of output.
  3. What can sediment buildup in a hydropower reservoir do?Answer: Reduce the reservoir's storage capacity.
  4. What share of hydropower's levelised cost of energy commonly comes from capital costs?Answer: About 80–90%.
  5. Why can a reservoir hydropower station complement wind power?Answer: It can increase generation when wind output is low.

Based on the Wikipedia article Hydroelectricity, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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