Water
power has been used by human beings for centuries. Waterwheels
for milling, and pumping were used in Greece at least
as early as 300BC. Prior to the Industrial Revolution,
water, wind and beast power were the only sources of
mechanical assistance. Improvements in the use of hydropower
continued, as efforts were made to improve the efficiency
of the water wheel. Much of this early hydropower research
occurred in France since the French did not have access
to coal deposits at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
The first recorded use of water power was a clock, built around 250
BC. Since that time, humans have used falling water to provide power
for grain and saw mills, as well as a host of other applications. The
first use of moving water to produce electricity was a waterwheel at
Appleton on the Fox river in Wisconsin in 1882, two years after Thomas
Edison unveiled the incandescent light bulb. The first of many hydro
electric power plants at Niagara Falls was completed shortly thereafter.
Hydro power continued to play a major role in the expansion of electrical
service early in this century, both in North America and around the
world. Contemporary Hydro-electric power plants generate anywhere from
a few kW, enough for a single residence, to thousands of MW, power
enough to supply a large city. Developments and improvements in electricity
transmission and distribution methods led to a shift in the aims of
hydroelectricity production in the early 20th century. High voltage
transmission lines were developed and began supplying extensive distribution
grids from large-scale hydroelectric plants.
Early hydro-electric power plants were much more reliable and efficient
than the fossil fuel fired plants of the day. This resulted in a proliferation
of small to medium sized hydro-electric generating stations distributed
wherever there was an adequate supply of moving water and a need for
electricity. As electricity demand soared in the middle years of this
century, and the efficiency of coal and oil fueled power plants increased,
small hydro plants fell out of favour. Most new hydro-electric development
was focused on huge "mega-projects". The majority of these
power plants involved large dams, which flooded vast areas of land
to provide water storage and therefore a constant supply of electricity.
Modern day hydroelectric research is predominantly concerned with increasing
the efficiencies of system components (such as turbines and generators),
refining control systems and maximizing the ease of integration of
hydroelectric power into major electricity grids. In recent years,
the environmental impacts of such large hydro projects are being identified
as a cause for concern. It is becoming increasingly difficult for developers
to build new dams because of opposition from environmentalists and
people living on the land to be flooded.
