Water energy is a renewable energy source because it relies on the supply of water, a product on our planet that we have infinite supply of. When water flows or falls, it creates water energy, and this energy source is quickly becoming the most widely used form of renewable energy. In order to produce water energy, a large amount of moving water is required that the energy can be extracted from. For this reason, industrial plants that create hydroelectric power are generally located on sites that have an abundance of moving water, such as dams. While most dams are created to prevent flooding and to provide irrigation, there are some dams, such as the Grand Coulee in Washington, that are mainly used for water energy purposes.
Industrial plants that create energy from water do so by pushing the water through pipes and then turning a turbine. The turbine is a large wheel that is hooked up to a generator, and it is this generator that is responsible for creating water energy. The force of this turbine turning the water is enough to produce water energy. The types of energy that are created in water are potential energy and kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is released when the water is moving and potential energy is the energy that is in water but is not used immediately. In the case of water dams that are used for water energy purposes, the water with potential energy within it will be held inside the dam until it needs to be used. At that time, the water will be released.
Hydropower is the energy that is created from water falling or flowing. There are many advantages to this type of water energy. The water plants that the energy is created in are very efficient and cost very little to run. These plants also produce very little heat therefore, sending very few harmful emissions into the environment. These plants are also much stronger than coal or nuclear plants and the dams or reservoirs that are created to provide the energy also help the surrounding areas to them by providing irrigation and preventing flooding.
However, many are concerned that water energy may not be as eco-friendly as one would think. This is because the moving of so much water affects the natural habitats of some animals. For instance, salmon in the Columbia River are forced to swim upstream to reproduce but there are many dams in the way of where they swim to do this. There is still more research ongoing and there have already been measures put into place such as “fish ladders,” which will encourage the salmon to swim over the dams to the breeding grounds.
Today, technology appears to be advancing at similar rates to the growing concerns of impacts to the environment. Because of this, as well as the fact that water energy is a renewable resource, the processes of water energy are expected to be refined in the years to come, to make this a more abundant and more usable form of energy that we can use every day.
