Hydroelectric power: What you need to know

Hydroelectricity power is one of the renewable energy sources that has been used for many years. Because more than seventy percent of the surface area of the earth is water, there is a significant amount of energy in this water that can be harnessed to generate electricity. Businesses that want to reduce energy bills should consider switching to hydroelectric power as it can improve their bottom lines. This article discusses hydroelectric power and everything you need to know.

Understanding hydroelectricity power

Hydroelectricity power, also called hydropower refers to energy produced from water. This energy comes in various forms, such as pumped storage, run-of-water, and wave energy. Hydroelectricity power is considered to be a renewable energy that has existed for decades to generate electricity.

Simply put, to produce this energy, you need to utilize moving water to move turbines. The driving force for many hydroelectricity power applications is the water cycle. It’s worth noting that water evaporates from lakes, rivers, and many more. It then condenses in the atmosphere and goes back to the earth’s surface in a process called precipitation, which moves through rivers and streams. 

The moving water has energy that can be used to generate hydroelectricity power by spinning turbines. A standard hydroelectric plant takes in flowing water via a pipe called a penstock that directs the water to the turbines. The flowing water forces these turbines to spin a generator and generate usable electricity. 

You can also generate hydroelectricity power from other sources, such as tides and ocean waves. These water sources don’t directly depend on the water cycle. Instead, wave energy and tidal power come from the moon’s gravitational pull and wind blowing through the surface of the ocean.

Types of hydroelectricity power

Storage hydroelectricity power is the most known type of hydroelectricity power. A storage hydroelectricity power plant involves creating a dam that has a reservoir to store large quantities of water. This water can be released from the reservoirs and flows through the turbines to produce electricity.  

Storage hydroelectricity power plants provide a consistent base load of electricity production. This means that they can provide constant energy and have the capability of meeting peak electricity demand. You should also remember that a hydroelectricity power plant can also be shut down when there is low electricity demand.

There is also pumped storage hydroelectricity power that relies on water going through the turbines. Likewise, there is also a reservoir that is placed at high elevation to release water at lower elevation point. Unlike storage hydroelectricity power, pumped storage systems come with pumps that allow water to back up to higher elevation reservoirs. When there is peak electricity demand, this pumped water is released to get back through the turbines to generate electricity. If you are interested in hydroelectricity, visit Utility Bidder.

As you can see, there are many types of hydroelectricity power available out there. The good thing with this energy is that it’s renewable. Therefore, if your business seeks to switch to a more eco-friendly energy source, then your best option is to choose hydroelectricity power.