ENVS 1200 Lecture 5: Hydropower
3 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Hydropower
March 3, 2015
The connection between hydropower and solar radiation is that solar radiation
(water evaporation) and gravity directly flows from high elevations to low
elevations.
Hydropower is currently used to meet about 16% of the global demand for
electricity, and 2% of global primary energy supply as resources are unevenly
distributed globally.
What is the EROEI?
Coal – 18
Natural Gas – 7
Nuclear – 5
Hydropower – 40+
Hydropower:
• China is largest hydropower producer
• 22010 – 17% of electricity use
• It added more hydro capacity than any other country
Hydropower may not expand much more in developed countries.
• China’s Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest dam
• Most of the world’s largest rivers have already been dammed
• People have grown aware of the ecological impact of dams
• Developing nations will probably increase hydropower if they still have
available rivers
Three Gorges Dam:
Social
Economic
Environmental
Costs
Benefits
Costs
Benefits
Costs
Benefits
-displacement
-flooding of
city upriver
-drawdown
zone around
cities
-flood control
-better for
heath than
burning coal
- money
compensation
for land
-jobs
-improved
transportation
-loss of
farmland
-increased
taxes
-costly to
construct
-creates jobs
-tourism
-cheaper cost
of energy
-flood control
and disaster
relief
-barrier to fish
passage
-habitat
destruction
-altered water
quality
-landslides
-major impact
in dolphin
habitat
-garbage build
up behind
dam
-doesn’t
contribute to
CO2 emissions
-water and
flood control
-renewable
resource
-creation of a
reservoir
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The connection between hydropower and solar radiation is that solar radiation (water evaporation) and gravity directly flows from high elevations to low elevations. Hydropower is currently used to meet about 16% of the global demand for electricity, and 2% of global primary energy supply as resources are unevenly distributed globally. Hydropower 40: 22010 17% of electricity use, china"s three gorges dam is the world"s largest dam, most of the world"s largest rivers have already been dammed. Hydropower may not expand much more in developed countries: china is largest hydropower producer. It added more hydro capacity than any other country: people have grown aware of the ecological impact of dams, developing nations will probably increase hydropower if they still have available rivers. Initial results suggest that ghg emissions are still low compared to the saving from hydropower: better navigation of river has reduced ghg emissions, life cycle analysis of hydroelectric projects is necessary.
