We’ve discussed several different historical inventions which allow modern-day life to flourish (check out a few, here: https://suntexllc.com/?s=History), however for some odd reason I don’t believe we’ve covered hydro-electricity very extensively in the past.
Similar to our discoveries regarding Wind Power (see previous blog post, here: https://suntexllc.com/2925-2/), Hydro power has been around for a really long time. The very first watermills and irrigation systems are thought to have been built around 4000 BC and 3000 BC, respectively, at least according to ThoughtCo.com and Energy.gov (https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-waterwheel-4077881, https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/history-hydropower). According to the Energy.gov article, “The Greeks used water wheels for grinding wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago, while the Egyptians used Archimedes water screws for irrigation during the third century B.C.” Please do read up on each of those links for more details! It’s safe to say this technology has been around for some time, and improved drastically with the advancements in technology made over the past century.
Also check out this info-graphic (left) from the Energy.gov link shown above to learn more about the timeline of events that led to modern-day hydro-power plants.
Hydro-electricity Generation in the US from 1950-2020 (click on chart to learn more)
While it’s difficult to say just how rapidly this technology spread across the globe, hydro-power now makes up roughly 25% of the total energy generation in the United States today, according to EIA.gov (https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/); see the chart below for a detailed look:
Then again, why should we care in the first place about hydro power?
Well, look no further than to the U.S. Energy department for answers to that question (https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/benefits-hydropower), which explains several of the advantages to using hydro power, not least importantly that they can generate electricity almost on demand, “Hydroelectric power is flexible. Some hydropower facilities can quickly go from zero power to maximum output. Because hydropower plants can generate power to the grid immediately, they provide essential backup power during major electricity outages or disruptions” (https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/benefits-hydropower).
Did you ever get the feeling in school that you were learning things that would never apply in your daily life, only to find that every once in a while, it really does make sense why you learned it in the first place? I feel like everything in the renewable energy industry follows that same trend. While it may seem like common sense, that moving water could produce electricity and thus we should all use it, Texans and Californians know that isn’t always possible. Hydro power only works with water, and if we use too much water too quickly, we’ll drain our resources – which could take a while to recover to say the least. Therefore it’s wise to use the common-sense energy sources available locally, and leverage whatever your local strengths might be. For this writer, I’m hoping to see healthy Hydro-power in the Pacific NW that doesn’t interrupt those famous salmon patterns, as well as a lot more solar power in Texas, soaking in that Texas sun for at least eight months out of the year.
