| Hydropower is a concept that has been has been | | | | Creating More Power With Less Water |
| around for centuries and was generally considered | | | | A few variables control the generation process |
| only viable in areas where the need for power | | | | for using hydropower as an effective tool for |
| was close to the potential source. One of the | | | | generating electricity. The amount of water flow, |
| most popular uses of hydropower today is in | | | | how far it drops before hitting wheels that turn |
| generating electricity with the most famous in the | | | | the generator affect the amount of power being |
| United States being at Niagara Falls and Lake | | | | produced. The climate also has a lot to do with |
| Meade in Nevada. The Niagara Falls hydroelectric | | | | their efficiency as streams may freeze in the |
| plant has been providing electricity for parts of | | | | winter or dry up during how summer months, |
| New York and Canada for many years using the | | | | making their generating potential useless. |
| flow from the falls to turn giant turbines. | | | | Small hydropower generators can be built at |
| Lake Meade, created by the construction of the | | | | home to supplement solar power in remote areas |
| Hoover Dam, uses the water from the lake as it | | | | where access to moving water is available. The |
| runs through sluices in the dam to control the | | | | turbine does not have to be in the direct flow of |
| amount of flow. The water impacts upon the fan | | | | the water to generate power. Water can be |
| blades of the hydroelectric pumps, turning turbines | | | | diverted into a pipe, which runs to the generator's |
| to generate electricity. Although many people see | | | | wheel and returned to the stream from which it |
| a growing future in the use of hydropower as a | | | | originated. |
| clean renewable resource for electricity, it has | | | | Another type of hydropower generator has |
| been is use long before electricity became popular. | | | | internal flanges to turn the generator's turbines. |
| Consider the water wheels that were used in | | | | Similar to a water pump that requires power to |
| grain mills to turn the giant stones that ground | | | | turn the pump, internal flanges turn the generator |
| grain into flour. The water wheels used | | | | using the water to create power. How much |
| hydropower from adjacent streams and creeks | | | | power is generated is determined by the flow and |
| to provide the power and the water could be | | | | speed of the water, the size of the generator |
| diverted away from the wheel when the grinding | | | | and the rate of flow...how much water is available |
| stones needed to be stopped. | | | | to operate the generator. |