Hydropower

Hydropower (from <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek/LIK7NlUh">Ancient Greek</a> ὑδρο-, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running <a href="/facts/Water/0lkXnJPK">water</a> to <a href="/facts/Electricity_generation/Uo6mQQ1T">produce electricity</a> or to power machines. This is achieved by <a href="/facts/Energy_transformation/8g4seWcj">converting</a> the <a href="/facts/Potential_energy/I03KLbmn">gravitational potential</a> or <a href="/facts/Kinetic_energy/aJRxUd4p">kinetic energy</a> of a water source to produce power. Hydropower is a method of <a href="/facts/Sustainable_energy/EnD6dsKV">sustainable energy</a> production. Hydropower is now used principally for <a href="/facts/Hydroelectricity/zEeJIK2B">hydroelectric power generation</a>, and is also applied as one half of an energy storage system known as <a href="/facts/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity/j15NI2UV">pumped-storage hydroelectricity</a>.
Hydropower is an attractive alternative to <a href="/facts/Fossil_fuel/BPgxAqB7">fossil fuels</a> as it does not directly produce <a href="/facts/Carbon_dioxide_in_Earth%2527s_atmosphere/h6A4HSzy">carbon dioxide</a> or other <a href="/facts/Air_pollution/zmk9Dy7S">atmospheric pollutants</a> and it provides a relatively consistent source of power. Nonetheless, it has economic, sociological, and environmental downsides and requires a sufficiently energetic source of water, such as a <a href="/facts/River/GP7MSur6">river</a> or elevated <a href="/facts/Lake/YP0xxn0E">lake</a>. International institutions such as the <a href="/facts/World_Bank/hIH9uUb2">World Bank</a> view hydropower as a low-carbon means for <a href="/facts/Economic_development/4KRrMBaM">economic development</a>.
Since ancient times, hydropower from <a href="/facts/Watermill/UTvzQY8S">watermills</a> has been used as a <a href="/facts/Renewable_energy/6Bu6IrpF">renewable energy</a> source for <a href="/facts/Irrigation/RWX5PEgK">irrigation</a> and the operation of mechanical devices, such as <a href="/facts/Gristmill/TP4qMmSr">gristmills</a>, <a href="/facts/Sawmill/16NUH5RC">sawmills</a>, <a href="/facts/Textile/PJrVeM5S">textile</a> mills, <a href="/facts/Trip_hammer/SEdYDjtJ">trip hammers</a>, dock <a href="/facts/Crane_(machine)/Q5axXY0l">cranes</a>, domestic <a href="/facts/Elevator/ug3nh0o8">lifts</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ore_mill/1uBlYVP2">ore mills</a>. A <a href="/facts/Trompe/qGC7PEjT">trompe</a>, which produces compressed air from falling water, is sometimes used to power other machinery at a distance.

Hydropower open-in-new

Hydropower