Hydro Electric Power - HEP
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Here is a talk on HEP that I did for science the other day.
Hydro Electric Power:
Start of talk:
We have researched information on Hydro Electric Power or HEP for short, here are our findings.
How is energy harnessed?:
HEP uses the kinetic energy of falling water, either in a natural river or from a reservoir created by an artificial dam. This water is fed through channels to turn turbines, which drive electrical generators.
A specific environmental problem associated with generating electricity:
HEP may not produce pollution, but a HEP station it is a threat to its surroundings. Should a dam burst or over flow or have to release more water than usual for any reason, the water escaping from it will flood low lying areas or wipe out all in its path.
There have been quite a few cases of this happening but the most recent case was in February of this year when Mozambique in Africa was hit by torrential rain. The Cahora Bassa reservoir on the Zambezi River had to release more water than usual to stop the dam from over flowing and bursting. Releasing more water stopped it from causing more devastation than flooding low-lying areas, for if it had been left to overflow and burst it would of caused major devastation to surrounding areas.
The extent to which it can be reduced:
If a dam bursts due to poor infrastructure than obviously we could do something about it by building the dam better, but if it bursts due to natural causes e.g. rain, then there is nothing we can do about it because we cannot control the weather.
How reliable the source is:
As HEP uses a renewable energy source (water), it means that it will be around a lot longer than fossil fuels for they are not renewable.
How quickly the source can start or stop generating electricity:
HEP is a reliable source, for if there is a surge in demand for electricity during the day the reservoir will have enough water stored in it all the time to provide electricity; unless of course there is draught in the area, which could lead to problems with there being less water, but that is only in extreme cases. If the demand for electricity decreases then the dam can let less water through therefore decreasing the amount of electricity produced.
Capital costs/costs of energy source:
HEP stations take a lot of money to start up. Building a reservoir and a dam is an expensive business, its not just the materials, machinery and people to build it and maintain it that cost money, but the people it displaces cost money as well, as they will need compensation. A dam that was opened in 1982 on the Parana River, which forms the boundary between Brazil and Paraguay cost 9000 million pounds- that's the same cost of six or seven large nuclear power stations. The dam created a lake 151km long, and displaced 42,000 people.
Conclusion:
As we begin to realise more and more that we have to stop using fossil fuels and that nuclear power is not a good idea due to long-term problems, we will look to more safe renewable energy sources such as Hydro Electric Power to meet our energy needs.
Written by Emily.
Hydro Electric Power:
Start of talk:
We have researched information on Hydro Electric Power or HEP for short, here are our findings.
How is energy harnessed?:
HEP uses the kinetic energy of falling water, either in a natural river or from a reservoir created by an artificial dam. This water is fed through channels to turn turbines, which drive electrical generators.
A specific environmental problem associated with generating electricity:
HEP may not produce pollution, but a HEP station it is a threat to its surroundings. Should a dam burst or over flow or have to release more water than usual for any reason, the water escaping from it will flood low lying areas or wipe out all in its path.
There have been quite a few cases of this happening but the most recent case was in February of this year when Mozambique in Africa was hit by torrential rain. The Cahora Bassa reservoir on the Zambezi River had to release more water than usual to stop the dam from over flowing and bursting. Releasing more water stopped it from causing more devastation than flooding low-lying areas, for if it had been left to overflow and burst it would of caused major devastation to surrounding areas.
The extent to which it can be reduced:
If a dam bursts due to poor infrastructure than obviously we could do something about it by building the dam better, but if it bursts due to natural causes e.g. rain, then there is nothing we can do about it because we cannot control the weather.
How reliable the source is:
As HEP uses a renewable energy source (water), it means that it will be around a lot longer than fossil fuels for they are not renewable.
How quickly the source can start or stop generating electricity:
HEP is a reliable source, for if there is a surge in demand for electricity during the day the reservoir will have enough water stored in it all the time to provide electricity; unless of course there is draught in the area, which could lead to problems with there being less water, but that is only in extreme cases. If the demand for electricity decreases then the dam can let less water through therefore decreasing the amount of electricity produced.
Capital costs/costs of energy source:
HEP stations take a lot of money to start up. Building a reservoir and a dam is an expensive business, its not just the materials, machinery and people to build it and maintain it that cost money, but the people it displaces cost money as well, as they will need compensation. A dam that was opened in 1982 on the Parana River, which forms the boundary between Brazil and Paraguay cost 9000 million pounds- that's the same cost of six or seven large nuclear power stations. The dam created a lake 151km long, and displaced 42,000 people.
Conclusion:
As we begin to realise more and more that we have to stop using fossil fuels and that nuclear power is not a good idea due to long-term problems, we will look to more safe renewable energy sources such as Hydro Electric Power to meet our energy needs.
Written by Emily.
