To be most effective hydro electric power dams are only opened when they have enough water in them to produce a hood amount of power.
You want as big of a fall height of the water as possible before going into the turbine.
Considering the large local environmental toll hydro electric power has, with disruptions to fish and other animals, it does make sense to keep it as efficient as possible.
Is efficiency really the reason behind dams being somewhat intermittent? Rather than just the fact that we might not need them on all the time (needs vary), or that we just can’t leave them on all the time (not enough water flowing in), and that yes, under these conditions, operators will direct power sources in the most efficient way possible.
What I mean is like, I get that leaving a dam off 50% of the time will have it generate more power once you turn it on. But over the whole period of time, assuming enough water upstream to replenish it in either case, is it actually going to generate more electricity than leaving it on 100% of the time?
I guess what I’m asking is, rather than them being more efficient, isn’t intermittent operation of dams due to the fact that we can’t just leave them on 100% in the first place?
Actually, no it doesn’t.
To be most effective hydro electric power dams are only opened when they have enough water in them to produce a hood amount of power.
You want as big of a fall height of the water as possible before going into the turbine.
Considering the large local environmental toll hydro electric power has, with disruptions to fish and other animals, it does make sense to keep it as efficient as possible.
Is efficiency really the reason behind dams being somewhat intermittent? Rather than just the fact that we might not need them on all the time (needs vary), or that we just can’t leave them on all the time (not enough water flowing in), and that yes, under these conditions, operators will direct power sources in the most efficient way possible.
What I mean is like, I get that leaving a dam off 50% of the time will have it generate more power once you turn it on. But over the whole period of time, assuming enough water upstream to replenish it in either case, is it actually going to generate more electricity than leaving it on 100% of the time?
I guess what I’m asking is, rather than them being more efficient, isn’t intermittent operation of dams due to the fact that we can’t just leave them on 100% in the first place?
If we left them on 24/7 they would quickly run out of water turn the turbine