Hydropower Directory: This is the Hydropower, Hydroenergy, and Hydro Electric directory of All Sites Sorted, and is a subdirectory of the Renewable Energy Online Directory. The Hydro power directory provides listings of online websites and resources related to renewable energy generated from moving water, i.e. hydropower, hydro electric power or hydroenergy.
Art and Hydropower at Hoover Dam
Hydropower presently is the largest source of renewable energy, providing for the majority of the electricity needs in some countries and regions, such as Norway, Canada, Iceland, and in the U.S. in the Pacific Northwest and Tennessee Valley (TVA), via hydroelectric power plants. In total, hydroelectricity provides about 20% of world demand. Despite that, only a small percentage of the available hydropower resources have been harnessed. Hydropower is renewable in that it is generated from the endless cycle of precipitation, runoff and collection of water, such as by using dams. There is almost a limitless supply of hydropower, limited only by the funding sources available and some environmental counter-concerns. Nevertheless it contributes significantly to reduction of carbon emissions, greenhouse gases, and particulates resulting from the burning of oil or coal to run electric power generators, and also reduces dependency on unreliable and often hostile sources of crude oil and other forms of energy supply.
Hydropower loosely relates to the generation of usable energy, such as electricity, from flowing water. The amount of power available depends on the mass of water flow, relating to the rate of water flow and the reservoir height. Hydropower has been used for centuries to power mechanical devices, such as using water wheels to run grain mills and irrigation pumps. The most economically significant use of hydropower of course is for hydroelectric power generation. Hydro electricity is generated using water turbines to harness the water flow from a reservoir created by a dam. The advantages are an endless renewable source of energy, essentially pollution free. In addition the lakes created behind the dams provide recreational opportunities for boating and fishing. Among the more famous dams are the Hoover Dam, creating Lake Mead, the controversial Aswan Dam in Egypt, and the Tennessee Valley dams run by the Tennessee Valley Authority. One concern with hydro electric generation has to do with the river blockage caused by the requisite dam. As the lake fills behind the dam, the previously dry land winds up under water. Frequently dams are in remote locations and the dislocation is not too significant. In some instances, such as in the Aswan dam, historic treasures and their locations are lost forever. The Aswan Dam although initially viewed as an economic benefit due to its hydro electric capacity is controversial because it disrupts natural cycles of flooding and soil improvement in the lower Nile, leading to calls for it dismantlement and restoration of historical treasures of ancient Egypt. Despite some controversies hydro power is predominantly viewed as a huge economic and environmental benefit as providing clean electricity generation plus recreational benefit.
Another hydropower alternative is micro hydro electric or small hydro electric power generation. This relates to the use of hydropower on a relatively small commercial scale – as compared with huge hydro electric projects involving large dams and reservoirs. Micro hydropower and small hydroelectric power generation has become particularly popular in China and some other Asian countries. Micro or small hydro electric power stations typically will produce in the range of 0.01 MW (.01 megawatt or 10 kilowatts) up to 1 MW (megawatt) for micro hydropower, and then 1 MW up to 30 MW (megawatts) for small hydro electric power generation. In contrast the Hoover Dam has a hydro electricity power capacity exceeding 2000 MW. Often micro hydro electric power stations are installed on existing dams initially built for flood control and irrigation purposes.
The websites listed below focus on hydropower, hydroenergy and hydro electricity, including research, dams, power stations, and related businesses, products and technologies.
CEB Trade Unions give ultimatum to Ministry Nation on Sunday, Sri Lanka - 8 hours ago According to CEB sources, the Ministry had not yet withdrawn its requests to grant LECO to manage the Moragolla hydropower project, which violates the ...
WAPDA fails to pay NWFP Rs 130bn royalty Daily Times, Pakistan - Jul 18, 2008 ISLAMABAD: The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) failed to pay hydropower royalty to the NWFP province, sparking further distrust between the ...
China commits $3.3b hydropower investments in Nigeria Tehran Times, Iran - Jul 18, 2008 China has committed N386.1billon ($3.3 billion) for 10 projects, which can potentially boost sub-Saharan Africa’s hydropower generation by 30 percent or ...
VP visits Sulewana hydro-power plant in Poso Antara, Indonesia - Jul 18, 2008 Poso, Central Sulawesi, (ANTARA News) - Vice President M Jusuf Kalla here on Friday visited the Sulewana hydro-power plant (PLTA) at Sulewana village, ...
Hydropower projects vital to coping with energy shortages: Gilani Trading Markets (press release), CA - Jul 17, 2008 The Prime Minister said hydropower is very vital to cope with the growing challenge of energy shortages in the country and is also very affordable. ...
Guodian plugs into Ili Kazak China Daily, China - Jul 17, 2008 The company has signed an agreement with the local government, under which it plans to start a thermal power plant and a hydropower plant before 2010, ...
Pakistan seeks investment in hydropower projects: PM Tehran Times, Iran - Jul 15, 2008 The policies of the present government are highly investment-friendly and it would welcome foreign investments in hydro-power projects, which are vital to ...
Howstuffworks - How Hydropower Plants Work: The basic idea is not new, but the process of modern hydropower conversion is high-tech. Today's hydropower plants are some of the coolest machines ever. http://www.howstuffworks.com/hydropower-plant.htm [Read more]
The Hydropower and water power page of the Energy Kids section of the US Energy Administration website. Of the renewable energy sources that generate electricity, hydropower is the most often used. It accouns for 7 percent of total U.S. electricity. http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/water.html [Read more]
International technical and business journal for the hydroelectric and dam engineering professions, and for water resources development and management. http://www.hydropower-dams.com/ [Read more]
International Hydropower Association: Members include corporations, engineers, researchers, educational establishments, and individuals working or studying in the field of hydropower. http://www.hydropower.org/ [Read more]
Hydropower (also called hydroelectric power) facilites in the United States can generate enough power to supply 28 million households with electricity. http://www.energy.gov/energysources/hydropower.htm [Read more]
Trade association representing the interests of the hydropower industry. Promotes the use of small hydropower and lobbies to protect its members interests. http://www.british-hydro.org/ [Read more]
Describes small-scale hydroelectric technology (portable to 15 kilowatts, stationary from 50 kilowatts to 5 megawatts) utilizing new high efficiency (84%) http://web.telecom.cz/hydropower/ [Read more]
How Hydropower Works: Hydropower plants capture the energy of falling water to generate electricity. A turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy which in turn becomes electric energy in the hydro electric generator. http://www.wvic.com/hydro-works.htm [Read more]
The Canadian Hydropower Association (CHA) is the national association dedicated to representing the interests of the hydropower industry. http://www.canhydropower.org/ [Read more]
The US Department of Energy Hydropower Program website provides hydropower facts and information on tech transfer, state resource assessment, research. http://hydropower.id.doe.gov/ [Read more]
Turning to Hydropower: Site by the Foundation for Water and Energy Education, FWEE. Promotes and provides information about hydropower in the US Pacific Northwest. http://www.fwee.org/ [Read more]
