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