More Hydropower FactsThe U.S. uses more Hydropower to produce electricity than any other Renewable Source. We have around 2,000 operating hydropower plants. Worldwide Hydro-electric produces 675,000 megawatts of energy. This is the equal to 3.6 billion barrels of oil. Here are some interesting Facts About Hydropower plants.
At the time it was both the largest hydroelectric generating plant and the largest concrete structure. It was later named for Herbert Hoover because he was instrumental in it being built. 
It currently ranks 38th in the world 
It opened in 1983. It took 12.3 million cubic meters of concrete to build and enough steel to build 380 Eiffel Towers.It produces around 12,600 megawatts of power. 
Other top producing countries with large scale Hydropower plants (over 4,000 MW) are Russia, Canada, and Brazil. The U.S. uses more Hydropower to produce electricity than any other Renewable Source. We have around 2,000 operating hydropower plants. Worldwide Hydro-electric produces 675,000 megawatts of energy. This is the equal to 3.6 billion barrels of oil. So much for large scale projects. Now let's talk about Micro Hydroelectric. Here is how it works. Water passes through a turbine that runs a generator and goes right back into the stream. Electricity can be produced with as little flow as 2 gallons per minute and a 2 foot drop. A system can cost $1,000 upwards to $20,000 depending on how much power you need. You do not need a large reservoir in order to power the turbines. They last a long time and maintenance is minimal. They can be tied into the grid so any excess power would be sold back. By this we mean your power company would credit you if you create more power than you use. They won't issue a check. You can also be totally off-grid using batteries and an inverter. Once you buy your system the power is free Renewable Energy. Those are the advantages and here are some of the disadvantages. First of all for small scale systems you need a suitable site. You need to consider distance the power will have to travel, flow rate of the stream and drop. A balance of system must be taken into account pertaining to your Inverter, Batteries, and Controller. A smaller stream may limit expansion if your needs should increase in the future. During drought conditions the creek could dry up leaving you powerless. You can make up your own mind and here is a great site for Info We need to build more hydropower plants worldwide.
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