Hydropower comes from the energy of flowing or falling water, which is harnessed to generate electricity. It relies on the natural water cycle, where solar energy causes water to evaporate, condense into clouds, and fall as precipitation, replenishing rivers and reservoirs. The movement of water, driven by gravity from higher elevations to lower ones, provides kinetic energy that can be converted into electrical energy
. Hydropower plants are typically located on or near water sources such as rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. There are several types of hydropower facilities:
- Impoundment facilities use dams to store water in reservoirs and release it to generate power by the gravitational pull of water
- Pumped storage facilities have two reservoirs at different elevations and can pump water uphill to store energy, releasing it to generate power when needed
- Run-of-river facilities generate power from the natural flow of rivers without large reservoirs
Water flows through turbines in these plants, spinning them to drive generators that produce electricity. After passing through the turbines, water continues downstream, allowing the cycle to repeat
. In summary, hydropower originates from the energy of moving water, which is continuously replenished by the Earth's water cycle, making it a renewable and sustainable energy source
