Hydroelectric

This remarkable project promises to open up zero-carbon energy storage to a broad range of areas without huge hills, delivering 2.5 times the power of water-based hydro. A pilot plant has been greenlit, with full-size, grid-scale projects to follow.

UK company RheEnergise is quietly rolling out an interesting new approach to pumped hydro energy storage, aiming for a capacity of at least 100 MW by 2030. It works with small hills instead of mountains, making it relevant in many more areas.

German multinational Thysenkrupp has won the contract to build and operate a huge hydro-electrolysis facility in Quebec, which will use one of the world's most powerful electrolyzers to produce some 11,100 metric tons of green hydrogen annually.

Hydroelectric turbines may indeed be a non-polluting source of electricity, but their spinning blades can nonetheless kill larger fish that are passing through. A new type is designed not to do so, while maintaining a compact form factor.

While there are now quite a few Bluetooth speakers that can be used in the shower, they all periodically need to be taken out and recharged. The Shower Power speaker is different, in that it's continuously powered by the running shower water.

Max Bögl Wind has announced the construction of the world's tallest turbine in Gaildorf, near Stuttgart in Germany. The tri-blade monster has a hub height of 178 meters (584 ft), with a total height from ground to tip of the blade of 264.5 m.

The all-new Blue Freedom kit offers yet another portable power alternative. "The world's smallest hydropower plant" transforms the power of running water into phone chatting, internet browsing, music listening, GPS navigating and other mobile device activities.

There's a lot of water constantly moving through the municipal pipelines of most major cities. While the water itself is already destined for various uses, why not harness its flow to produce hydroelectric power? Well, that's exactly what Lucid Energy's LucidPipe Power System does.

Migrating salmon in the Pacific Northwest are set to be helped on their journey by Sensor Fish. Developed by PNNL, these devices record and analyze the physical stressors faced by the fish on their trek and provide hydroelectric dams with data to become more fish-friendly.

The Air HES concept claims to yield both clean water and electricity by using a high-flying airship to harvest and condense water vapor which it then uses to spin up an electric turbine generator to create power.

TipTapTop teaches kids how to wash their hands in a hygienic manner, without wasting water - and trying to make it as fun as possible. The 3D-printed TipTapTop might end up being an incredibly annoying thing to have in your bathroom, but the way it goes about its job is quite clever.

When we complain about the rain, other people will often say "Yeah, but it's good for the plants." Well, thanks to a microturbine-based system created by three students from the Technological University of Mexico, it's now also being used to generate electricity for use in low-income homes.