Knowra Hydropower Hydropower Hydropower is electricity generated by harnessing the energy of flowing or falling water, usually with turbines and generators. Its output can be controlled by regulating water flow or storage.
Hydroelectric turbine : A rotating machine that extracts energy from moving water and drives a generator. Water pressure and flow turn the turbine, converting hydraulic energy into rotation.
Water cycle : The continuous movement of water among the atmosphere, land, oceans, and living systems. Precipitation and runoff replenish the rivers and reservoirs that supply hydropower.
Electricity grid : An interconnected system for generating, transmitting, and distributing electrical power. Hydropower plants supply energy and can adjust output to help balance the grid.
River fragmentation : The division of a river into disconnected or altered sections by barriers and other changes. Dams built for hydropower can interrupt movement of fish and sediment along rivers.
Wind power : Electricity generated by converting the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Wind output varies with weather, while reservoir hydropower can often be dispatched on demand.
Hydroelectric generator : A machine that converts rotational mechanical energy into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction. The turbine’s shaft spins the generator to produce electricity.
Reservoir : A natural or artificial body of stored water, often held behind a dam. Reservoir storage lets many plants shift water releases to match electricity demand.
Load following : Adjusting a power plant’s output as electricity demand changes over time. Reservoir hydropower can increase or decrease generation to track demand.
Fish ladder : A structure that helps fish pass around a barrier such as a dam. It is one mitigation measure for hydropower’s obstruction of fish migration.
Solar power : Electricity generated by converting sunlight into electrical energy, usually with photovoltaic cells or solar-thermal systems. Solar generation follows daylight, unlike water stored for later hydropower production.
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