Small Decentralized Hydropower Program National ... - Cd3wd.com

Con el advenimiento de la electricidad en 10s
1880’s, y el principio de la evolution de la trans-
mision de capacidades en 1890, se empezo a construir
muchas plantas hidroelectricas de pequeiia escala,
especialmente en el Oeste. Por ejemplo, en el estado
de Utah donde vivo, casi cada villa a lo largo de las
Montaiias Wasatch, desviaron las pequenas cor-
rientes a lo largo de las paredes de 10s canones pro-
fundos hacia las bocas de1 canon donde utilizaron la
caida para generar electricidad que fue posterior-
mente distribuida dentro de la pequena villa. Esto ha
requerido un minima de tecnologfa, y ha sumi-
nistrado energfa ekctrica para la iluminacion y para
reemplazar la fuerza de la musculatura humana en
ias pequefias industrias. A medida que aumentaba la
poblacidn, estas instalaciones en pequena escala
fueron absorbidas por 10s sistey:os mayores; algunas
frzeron abandonadas por causa de 10s altos costos de
opera&n para la pequena cantidad de energia pro-
ducida. iu’o obstante, aigunos e&n en pleno proceso
de rejuvenecimiento por causa de 10s elevados costos
de1 petrbleo y otros recursos de energia.
En el Noreste de 10s E&ados Unidos gr-adualmente
se engancharon las ruedas de agua y las turbinas a
ios generadores y miles de plantas generadoras en
pequeiia escala contrilouyeron al rapido crecimiento
de la industria. No obstante, hate coma 25 anos, la
mayotia de las plantas pequenad fueron abandonadas
debido al m&s bajo costo de la electricidad
suministrada por sistemas mayores. Hoy dfa estamos
en proceso de reconstruction y rejuvenecimiento de
&as pequefias ceiiirales porque ia economia se ha
vuelto favorable y porque la energfa acuatica
representa una fuente de ener@a local, con-
tinuamente renovable y de la cual se puede depender.
Ventajas de la Hidroelectricidad
Aunque la rantidad de energia producida y e!
potential son impresionantes, la hidroelectricidad
coma fuente de energia tiene otras ventajas impor-
tames. Es un generador de energia que no se con-
sume, que utiliza una fuente limpia, ccntinuamente
renovable por la energfa de1 sol que crea y sostiene el
ciclo hidrologico. Esenciaimente no ocusiona poluti6n
y no desplaza calor. Es lrnaf7l,,cmtc! & GYMP#CI & La
txai se JYK-CX% depenc&~, dentro de las limitaciones
hidroldgicas de1 lugar La simplicidad relativa de la
maquinaria hidraulica permite la disponibilidad
instantanea de la energia cuando se la necesite.
Coma no se requiere calor, el equip0 dura mucho
tienipo y SlI Rlti!P.CiO:iZirr~ei~it~, cj mr0.
La generation de hidroelectricidad requiere algun
tipo de control acuatico, variando hasta el control
technology and provided electric power for
lighting and to replace the muscle power of
people in small industries. As pOpUi=I?iOnS
increased, these small scale instaliations were
absorbed into the larger systems; some were
abandoned because of high operattng costs for
the small amount of power produced. However,
some are now being rejuvenated because of the
increasing costs of oil and other energy
resources.
In the Northeast part of the United States, the
water wheels and turbines were gradually hooked
to generators and thousands of small scale
generating plants contributed to the rapid growth
of industry. Ho wever, by abou? 2% years ago,
most of the small plants had been abandoned
because of less-cost electricity becoming
available from iarge systems. Today we are in the
process of rebuilding and rejuvenating these
small sites because the economics has become
favorable and because water power represents a
lOGa!, continually renewable and dependable
source of energy.
Hydropower Advantages
While the amount of energy produced and the
potential are impressive, hydropower as an
energy source has other important advantages. It
is a non-consumptive generator of energy, uti!iz-
ing a clean resource, continually renewable by
the energy of the sun which creates and sustains
the hydrological CyCie. it is essentially non-
polluting and no heat is released. It is a reliable
energy source within the hydrological limitations
of the site. The reiative simplicity of hydraulic
machinery makes energy instantly available as
needed. As no heat is involved, equipment has a
long life and malfunctioning is rare.
The generation of hydropower requires some
type of water control, ranging up to full control of
the discharge from a watershed, thus it is an
imparJani part of the ,mMpurpnose uti?ka tion of
water resources and reduces the potential of
destruction from floods. Water out of control is
mankind’s most destructive force. W’ith storage
facilities, floodwaters are retained and better
utilized for food production; for river regulation,
improving navigation, fish and wildlife, and
recreational potential; for municipal use and bet-
ter control of wastewaters; and the destructive
fom3 of fiood fiows, as weii as the energy of nor-
mal flows! is harnessed to provide electrical
energy for man’s use.
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