Welcome back to Climatific, a free, weekly read that breaks down climate science so it makes sense- not for scientists or researchers, but for everyday people trying to understand the planet we live on, what’s happening to it, and why it matters.
We have two more weeks left of our Renewable Road Show. But don’t be sad, my loyal compadre. We’re plotting more fun series so you can continue to learn about niche climate science topics and grow that big brain of yours. Let’s not commemorate too early, though, because there’s still so much more to learn about the world of renewables!
So take a plunge into the wonderous waters that is none other than… hydroelectricity.
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🌎 Who’s Hydro, and What Do They Power?
Water travels through a forest in a watershed or in a river down a mountain range through elevation changes. Hydropower, also called hydroelectric power or hydroelectricity, generates electricity by capturing the kinetic energy associated with moving water. It’s renewable, of course, thanks to the water cycle!
Generally speaking, there are three types of hydropower:
Impoundment. This is probably the hydropower system you’re most familiar with- a dam! Dams store water in a reservoir that controls the flow of water through a turbine, which generates electricity. A transformer converts the electricity into safer and more usable forms of energy, and then it’s carried away to power the lights in your home via transmission lines. The greater the height difference between the reservoir and the lake, the more energy the system can produce. Have a looksie:
Diversion/Run-of-river. If you run into a beautiful (manmade) waterfall on the side of a river, there’s a chance it’s a diversion hydropower system! Diversion systems use the natural downward flow of a river or body of water rather than a dam structure. Diversions channel a river through a canal or pipe, then into a turbine/generator system.
The Hugh Keenleyside Dam is a run-of-river hydropower system in British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Flickr.
Pumped storage. This system includes an upper and lower reservoir. When consumer demand for energy is high—like on weeknights and weekends—, water flows downhill from the upper reservoir and generates electricity quickly and easily. When consumer demand for energy is low—like on weekdays when most people are working—the system uses electricity to pump water back uphill.
If that’s about as clear as mud, maybe this visual will help:
🌎 I Know What You’re Thinking...
The Hoover Dam is one of the most recognizable hydropower plants and exists on the Colorado River at the intersection of the northwest corner of Arizona and the southern tip of Nevada. It was the largest dam in the world for a decade after it was constructed.
The great, manmade, Lake Mead is the reservoir in the hydropower system. It serves as a water source for millions of people in the Southwest for municipal, agricultural, and recreational use.
Wait, I thought we were talking about electricity.. WE ARE! (Penn State)
The Hoover Dam consists of 17 massive hydraulic turbines that generates 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year for over 1.3 million people across Nevada, Arizona, and California.
The Hoover Dam produces renewable electricity, serves as a water source, controls flooding, AND irrigates land! I think there’s one word to describe how we’re feeling.
🌎 The Sunny Side
The construction of any manmade structure disrupts the natural environment. What once was untouched, now has a little sprinkle of us. Or, rather, a whole whoppin’ spoonful.
In the case of hydropower, dams disrupt the flow of natural waters. When water cannot flow naturally, sediment, organic material, fish, and other organisms get left behind. Luckily, we have come up with one key advancement to minimize these disruptions: fish ladders!
Fish ladders facilitate the movement of fish through dams where they are otherwise highly susceptible to death from barometric pressure changes, turbine blades, and getting squished in small spaces.
This is essential because fish migrate to find food, suitable breeding grounds, and escape unfavorable temperatures and water flows. Some fish will migrate miles across fresh water and salt water systems, rivers and floodplains, and even during high tides. So, while we may need electricity to thrive, fish ladders ensure that necessity no longer comes at a cost to our aquatic friends!
Non-electric dams provide benefits for land irrigation, accessibility to water, and controlled flooding. What if all of those dams were also generating electricity? Efficiency on turbines and generators are in a constant state of research and exploration. The ideas are endless, from an elaborate series of hydropower systems along flowing bodies of water to one gigantic dam powerhouse. These projects bring significant energy benefits to local communities and their residing states.
🌎 In the Forecast
We are reaching the end of our Renewable Roadshow, but it’s not over yet!
The last leg of the series is about microgrids. If you pay attention to the energy market, you’ll know that the next few years are not projected to be very…. stable. While there is no silver bullet to the looming energy crisis, microgrids are one solution.
Microgrids are like that one distant cousin who loves natural remedies and decides they’re going to live off the grid, grow their own food, and be entirely self-sufficient. In other words, they’re pretty freakin’ cool. And they’re one step ahead of everyone else.
Microgrids are localized, independent energy systems that produce renewable energy. In other words, they reduce energy demand and save emissions while doing it.
The key takeaway? You’re not gonna want to miss next week’s issue!
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Stay curious,
Climatific
