The use water to take the place of manual labor has been around since the beginning of man and evidence of some of the first commercial uses of hydro power are still evident in old milling factories. Hydro power was used to turn large water wheels connected to grinding stones to mill flour and other grains. The city of Niagara Falls uses the power of the river below the falls to produce electricity to power two international cities and Hoover Dam on Lake Mead in Nevada helps keep the city of Las Vegas brightly lit.

The availability of hydro power is somewhat limited to areas in which water traveling at appropriate speeds is readily available. Some small streams and rivers have been blocked by dams to create sufficient fall into impellers to run turbines to generate electricity. Some homeowners have devised small hydro power devices to produce a limited amount of electricity for their home’s outdoor needs.

More people are becoming interested in methods to produce hydro power as a means of supplementing the need for alternative energy. The sun, wind and water are being tapped as a means to create environmentally friendly generating plants, while save the non-renewable energy resources still available.

Available Sources Of Energy Vary By Geography

Solar power is a rapidly expanding source of power, but in many areas of the world the sun does not shine throughout the year, and never at night. The use of the wind is also limited as climatic differences in the amount of wind blowing at any one time, make its use somewhat unpredictable. The use of hydro power, while limited to areas with an available adequate water source however, is reasonably dependable. Depending on the climate however, drought can cause the river to dry up and severe winter weather can cause it to freeze.

As the power grid in the country continues to expand, it is becoming possible to divert some of the electricity generated by hydro power to other areas of the country where it cannot be produced. By adding the power of a raging river to the grid, it create an even bigger pool from which power can be drawn. It is feasible that power produced from a mountain river to be used by people living thousands of miles away.

Even small streams can provide the means to produce a small amount of electricity using small generators or alternators. There are some small farms using this type of hydro power to generate power to operate some of the electric equipment and help cut their home’s energy consumption.

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