Hydropower: The old lady among renewable energies

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Even before industrialization, the flow energy of flowing water was used to drive mills, sawmills and hammer mills, for example. Today, the term hydropower primarily refers to the conversion into electrical energy in a specially built hydroelectric power station. These power stations are not only environmentally friendly and - unlike many other renewable generation plants - subject to few fluctuations, they are also highly efficient and are considered to be technically reliable.

There are currently 7,300 hydroelectric power plants in Germany, which together have an installed capacity of around 5,600 megawatts (MW). 6,900 plants (94 percent) have an installed capacity of less than one MW and are therefore classified as small hydroelectric power plants. The southern federal states have the greatest potential for the use of hydroelectric power, as there are large differences in altitude in the watercourse in the Alpine foothills.

And this is how it works
The energy conversion in hydroelectric power plants is based on algeria consumer email list​ the principle of conservation of energy. It states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be converted from one form to another.

In hydroelectric power plants, the potential energy (also called vertical or potential energy) and the kinetic energy (energy of motion) of the water are converted into mechanical energy when the falling water hits a turbine and drives it. The turbine consists of a rotor equipped with blades. When the water hits these blades of the rotor, it is set in motion and rotates. This movement is transferred to a generator, which converts the mechanical energy into electrical current.

The energy conversion in hydroelectric power plants can be summarized as follows:

1. The potential energy of water is converted into kinetic energy as it falls from the reservoir into the riverbed.
2. The kinetic energy of the falling water is converted into mechanical energy when it hits the blades of the rotor and sets it in motion.
3. The mechanical energy of the rotating turbine is converted into electrical energy when it is transferred to the generator.
The total amount of energy remains constant throughout the energy conversion. However, some of the energy is “lost” in the form of heat, which is generated, for example, by friction.