Hydroelectricity


 * Hydroelectricity** is referring to the production of electricity through the force of flowing (or falling) water.It is the most widely utilized form of electricity in the world, being used in at least 150 countries and accounting for more than 16% of the world's energy production. It is both a renewable source of energy, but also relatively low-cost energy supply (3 to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour). Among the largest dams in the world, there are the Guri Dam and the Belo Monte Dam (currently under construction).


 * __Electricity Generation__**

In dams, the generation of electric power consists of the flow of dammed water through a pipe (the "penstock") to spin both a turbine and a generator and produce electricity. The amount of electricity produced is dependent in the volume and the velocity of the water flow. Most of this process is dependent on the natural force of gravity to accelerate the water through the "penstock".

__**Relation to Climate Change**__

Scientists like [|Eric Kort] found out in late April 2012, that [|methane from the Arctic] is a major contributor towards global warming. Apart from Carbon Dioxide, Methane is the most important contributor to global warming because while it only lasts 15 years, it can accumulate more than 20 times more heat than Carbon Dioxide. Hydroelectric dams produce methane too. According to [|a research] published by Ivan Lima and several other scientists from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, hydroelectric dams cause a yearly worldwide release of 104 million metric-tons of methane, which accounts for 4% of global warming's total climate impact. It is estimated that in over 20 years, the methane releases of one of the largest dams cause much more damage than 7.5 billion metric tons of Carbon Dioxide. It was also recommended by Ivan Lima that methane produced by dams should be collected and used to fuel more power plants to not only reduce the need for more hydroelectric dams, but also potentially substitute coal as an energy source.

Key Terms 1. Hydroelectricity - Term referring to the production of electricity through the means of hydropower. 2. Kilowatt-hours (Kwh) - Unit of energy equal to 1000 watt-hours, also most commonly used unit when billing consumers. 3. Generator - A machine that works to convert kinetic or mechanical energy into electricity. 4. Force - In context, the force of water would be its strength to push an object out of the way. 5. Turbine - A machine that takes energy caused by fluid flow (or air flow), when rotating it, and converts it into useful work.

External Links/Resources 1.[|Use and Capacity of Global Hydropower Increases] 2. [|Eric Kort] 3. [|Methane Released from Arctic] 4. [|4% of Global Warming Due to Dams]

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