December 30th, 2009 
Tushar Mathur Manufacture of power by using the gravitational force of flowing water is called hydropower and the electricity generated by hydropower is called hydroelectricity. It is extensively used form of renewable energy. Hydropower does not give out carbon dioxide or other dangerous emissions, in comparison to fossil fuels. Hydropower is not big contributed to global warming. Hydroelectric power supplies about 20% of world electricity.
Most of the hydroelectric power comes from the potential energy by driving a water turbine and generator in dam water. The energy taken out from the water depends on the volume and on the variation of height between the source and the water outflow. To get maximum energy, water from a hydraulic turbine run through a large pipe called a penstock.
Hydroelectric plants that have no reservoir capacity are called run-of-the-river plants, as they do not store water.
Some advantages of hydropower are as follows:
• The main advantage of hydroelectricity is almost removal of the cost of fuel. The expenses incurred in running a hydroelectric plant are very resistant to increases in the cost of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas or coal.
• Hydroelectric plants also run for a longer time period without much maintenance than fuel-fired generation, as many plants are still working which were constructed before 50 or 100 years ago.
• Operating cost is also typically low, as most of the plants are automated and have few labor personnel on site.
• Hydroelectric dams do not give off carbon dioxide as they don’t burn any fossil fuels. Some carbon dioxide is produced during construction of the project but this is a small fraction of the operating emissions of fossil-fuel electricity generation.
• Hydroelectric schemes create reservoirs which provide facilities for water sports. Multi-use dams are fit for irrigation support agriculture with a steady water supply.
• Bigger hydro dams control floods, which if not controlled would affect people living near the project.
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