19 Facts About Hydroelectric power

HydroHydroelectric power can provide large amounts of low-carbon electricity on demand, making it a key element for creating secure and clean electricity supply systems.

HydroHydroelectric power has been used since ancient times to grind flour and perform other tasks.

In 1878, the world's first hydroelectric power scheme was developed at Cragside in Northumberland, England, by William Armstrong.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many small hydroelectric power stations were being constructed by commercial companies in mountains near metropolitan areas.

Hydroelectric power stations continued to become larger throughout the 20th century.

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Hoover Dam's initial power station was the world's largest hydroelectric power station in 1936; it was eclipsed by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1942.

The Hydroelectric power extracted from the water depends on the volume and on the difference in height between the source and the water's outflow.

Tidal Hydroelectric power station makes use of the daily rise and fall of ocean water due to tides; such sources are highly predictable, and if conditions permit construction of reservoirs, can be dispatchable to generate Hydroelectric power during high demand periods.

Tidal Hydroelectric power is viable in a relatively small number of locations around the world.

Micro hydro systems complement photovoltaic solar energy systems because in many areas water flow, and thus available hydro Hydroelectric power, is highest in the winter when solar energy is at a minimum.

An underground Hydroelectric power station is generally used at large facilities and makes use of a large natural height difference between two waterways, such as a waterfall or mountain lake.

HydroHydroelectric power is a flexible source of electricity since stations can be ramped up and down very quickly to adapt to changing energy demands.

In 2021 the IEA estimated that the "reservoirs of all existing conventional hydroHydroelectric power plants combined can store a total of 1 500 terawatt-hours of electrical energy in one full cycle" which was "about 170 times more energy than the global fleet of pumped storage hydroHydroelectric power plants".

When used as peak power to meet demand, hydroelectricity has a higher value than baseload power and a much higher value compared to intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar.

Nuclear Hydroelectric power is relatively inflexible; although it can reduce its output reasonably quickly.

Since the cost of nuclear Hydroelectric power is dominated by its high infrastructure costs, the cost per unit energy goes up significantly with low production.

Wind Hydroelectric power goes through predictable variation by season, but is intermittent on a daily basis.

Conversely, in some cases wind Hydroelectric power can be used to spare water for later use in dry seasons.

HydroHydroelectric power is produced in 150 countries, with the Asia-Pacific region generated 32 percent of global hydroHydroelectric power in 2010.