1. All You Need To Know About Electricity
Many are the times when we wake up in the morning, switch on the lights and then
proceed to carry out our household chores. This one alone is enough in telling one how
important electricity is.
Nevertheless, we fail to understand that the light we expect to be produced once we
have switched on the switch, is as a result of an invention of how to make electricity
using hydro power, an invention that dates back to many decades ago. This invention
has been termed as the most life changing invention to have ever been made by man.
It is due to this invention that many economies have recorded significant growth, while
others are yet to benefit all their citizens from it thanks to the abject poverty that have
hit these economies. It is estimated that electricity, which has been tapped by
hydropower is the most common source of energy for many in industries. Those
counties that makes maximum use of electricity has been revered for their advanced
economies that they have derived from continued use of electrical energy.
Consequently, this has been one of the distinguishing factor between a developed and
developing countries. In developed countries, electricity is at disposal of citizens, hence
giving them the power to invest in many business activities that require electricity. In
return, they pay huge amounts of money as tax revenues to their governments a move
that results to these governments acquiring money to run its projects.
In the developing countries, electricity remains a piped dream to many of the citizens
who perceive it as a luxury and only affordable by the rich people. Consequently, such
countries will never realize growth, unless they empower their citizens to have
alternative energy sources. This is due to the fact that, electricity is the driving force of
the worlds business and without it, less development is likely to be realized. It is due to
this realization that has made both developed and developing economies to invest
heavily on tapping electricity from hydro power. A project is said to cost billion of
dollars and many years of working towards tapping this much-desired electrical energy.
It is good if one would be conversant in knowing the A to Z of how electricity is
produced. This one is important towards helping people realize that, the light that is
produced when they turn on the switch is not produced by chances. Nevertheless, it is
after investment of massive resources and manpower. So next time you are switching
on your lights, try and ask yourself how that bulb ends producing that light that you

2. yearn for.
Before going into details of how light is produced, it is worth considering the concepts
and terminologies that are used in electricity world. This will be incremental towards
making sure that one does not get confused by this terminologies and hence fail to
understand how electricity is produced. Again, this one will help readers in knowing the
genesis of the electricity that we always use in our homes, offices and businesses.
Hydropower
Hydropower can be defined as the process whereby hydro electric generator is used to
tap electrical energy from fast moving water. The use of hydropower can be traced from
ancient times where people used water energy to turn the turbines that were used to
water their crops. Among the communities that used this power were the communities
residing at the banks of river Nile and others who had settled in Mesopotamia, which is
currently known as Iraq.
However, today due to the advent of technology people rely on advanced means of
watering their crops. Today, the water that was earlier used for farming has been
directed to hydro generators in a bid to produce electricity. Even though
environmentalists have arrayed fears that the process has many unprecedented effects
on the ecosystem, many have termed it as the best and the most convenient way of
generating electricity.
Hydroelectric generator
As indicated earlier, for there to be production of electricity using hydropower there
ought to be hydroelectric generator. Its main objective is to convert the energy that
emanates from the fast flowing water and turn it into electrical energy that is
responsible for producing electricity. The operations of a hydro -electric generator
conforms to the principles of Michael Faraday, the person who is credited for inventing
electricity. It is based on the concept that when the water is moved past some turbines,
it leads to the production of electricity. Thus, this type of generator is used in enhancing
water energy to turn the turbines that will later produce electricity. It is here that falling
water is converted into millions of electrons that later turn to become the present day
electricity. However, before that, there follows a process that requires a lot of
investment and dedication. Apparently, there are varieties of these types of generators

3. that are manufactured by many companies that have operations geared at
manufacturing the best quality of hydroelectric generators. These generators come in
sizes and the choice of the generator is greatly determined by the amount of electricity
that a company wishes to produce .However, these generators are expensive and costly
to maintain. They require a lot of expertise from professionals who are conversant with
electricity. Besides, they are dangerous and might result to unprecedented accidents
that might affect heavily on the lives of people and animals. It is for this reason that
people are prohibited from going near them. There have been cases allover the world
where people have lost their lives to these generators; others have being maimed by
the high voltage of electrical energy that they produce. For this reason, all the
electricity-producing companies have been awarded state authority, as being the only
body that is legalized in handling these generators.
How electricity is produced using hydropower and hydroelectric generators
After being conversant with all the terminologies that are using in the electricity
generating industry, it is time we looked at how electricity is produced. First, it is worth
noting that electricity is produced at hydroelectric power stations.
The hydroelectric station are erected close to river falls or at dams that are constructed
across the river , so as to help raise the water level hence producing the water flow
power needed in creating the required driving force.
Afterwards, water is collected at the forebay and directed to flow through a huge pipe
that directs it to the turbine, which is connected to the hydroelectric generator. In the
process of water flowing into this big pipe, it increases in pressure, which in return
causes the turbine to start revolving. It is due to this continued revolving that makes
the generator to spin.
Consequently, the spinning of the generators causes the motors that are inside the
generator to create a flow of electrons. This is where electricity is produced. The only
remaining process at this juncture is to step up the voltage of electricity that is
produced. This takes place within the stations transformers that are placed around it.
Afterwards, the produced electricity is sent across a variety of transmission lines ready
to be distributed to various destinations.
Before being transmitted through wires for residents to use, this electricity is measured
to ensure that it does not cause harm to people and property. For this reason, the

4. services of electrical engineers come in handy. They ensure that they control the
electrical voltage that is produced. This is all in a bid to avoid a scenario whereby there
is excess voltage of power being produced and that, which can cause the hydroelectric
station to blow up. Apart from ensuring that there is no excess electrical voltage being
produced, these electrical engineers also ensure that there is no under production of
electricity. This is essential in making sure that the electricity produced is sufficient.
Future of Electricity
There has emerged a heated debate on the future of electricity, considering that
environmentalists have raised the red flag over the disruption of the ecosystem that
has originated from the continued generation of electricity.
However, by the look of things electricity is here to stay. The only factor that has
continued to be a threat to the generation of electricity is the drying up of water
bodies that are responsible for producing hydro power. This can be explained by the
continued surging of the world's population that have led to encroachment of water
catching bodies by people seeking residence due to increased land pressure. This
encroachment has continued to impact negatively on the water level of dams and rivers
that are used in the generation of electricity.
If this trend persists, then the future of hydro generated electricity hand in balance.
Nevertheless. nations are embarking on other alternative energy sources in order to
meet the increasing power demand. By now, I am sure you have learnt a lot on how
electricity is produced. Therefore, you are fully aware of the events that transpire
before that bulb that in your house produces light whenever you switch it on.
Know more about hydro electric generator and water flow power by clicking here.