Water
Water- Energy in Constant Motion
08/31/2010
© Keblow
Humankind has long made use of the energy in moving river water, with watermills or simply using the downstream current to carry boats. The potential of this energy source increased with the advent of electricity. Nowadays, dams -often huge- are used to retain water before releasing it in order to convert its mechanical energy into electricity.
This natural resource has the advantage of being accessible the world over, offering a clean source of energy (even though some dams do have an environmental impact), and excellent efficiency. Hydraulic power plants currently supply 16% of the world's electricity.
Water-based energy production
Hydroelectric power plants use dams where water is retained and then released, to drive turbines and produce electricity on a large scale.
