Hydropower

This article is about the general concept of hydropower. For the use of hydropower for electricity generation, see hydroelectricity.

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Hydropower (from Ancient Greek ὑδρο-, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a water source to produce power.[1] Hydropower is a method of sustainable energy production. Hydropower is now used principally for hydroelectric power generation, and is also applied as one half of an energy storage system known as pumped-storage hydroelectricity.

Hydropower is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels as it does not directly produce carbon dioxide or other atmospheric pollutants and it provides a relatively consistent source of power. Nonetheless, it has economic, sociological, and environmental downsides and requires a sufficiently energetic source of water, such as a river or elevated lake.[2] International institutions such as the World Bank view hydropower as a low-carbon means for economic development.[3]

Since ancient times, hydropower from watermills has been used as a renewable energy source for irrigation and the operation of mechanical devices, such as gristmills, sawmills, textile mills, trip hammers, dock cranes, domestic lifts, and ore mills. A trompe, which produces compressed air from falling water, is sometimes used to power other machinery at a distance.[4][1]

  1. ^ a b Egré, Dominique; Milewski, Joseph (2002). "The diversity of hydropower projects". Energy Policy. 30 (14): 1225–1230. Bibcode:2002EnPol..30.1225E. doi:10.1016/S0301-4215(02)00083-6.
  2. ^ Bartle, Alison (2002). "Hydropower potential and development activities". Energy Policy. 30 (14): 1231–1239. Bibcode:2002EnPol..30.1231B. doi:10.1016/S0301-4215(02)00084-8.
  3. ^ Howard Schneider (8 May 2013). "World Bank turns to hydropower to square development with climate change". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  4. ^ Hill, Donald (2013). A History of Engineering in Classical and Medieval Times. Routledge. pp. 163–164. ISBN 9781317761570.