International experts in the field of hydropower come together in this informative volume to explore hydraulic design and new developments, as well as rehabilitation upgrades and new applications. This volume covers examples of projects being carried out - innovative new designs of turbines, the challenges faced when refurbishing old plant, and latest technology in the capturing of energy from low weirs, rivers, and oceans. Topics include: Hydraulic design/new developments Innovation re-engineering Rehabilitation Upgrades/applications Hydropower Developments - New Projects, Rehabilitation, and Power Recovery will be essential for anyone wishing to keep up-to-date with developments in the hydropower industry including design manufacturers, consultants, contractors, operators, and all those involved in the hydroelectric power industry.

Hydropower provides a complete discussion of the most up-to-date considerations of this method of creating renewable energy. After introducing the method’s history, the author explores various considerations for engineers, planners and managers who need to determine the best placement and size of a plant. The book then presents various types of hydropower systems, such as Run-of-River Schemes and various types of Dam and Turbines, also considering the important economic, environmental and geological impacts of each. Those involved in the planning, design and management of hydropower systems, such as engineers, researchers, managers and policymakers will find this book a very valuable and insightful resource. Explores different types of dams and turbines set alongside easy-to-understand diagrams, such as Embankment Dams, Concrete Arch Dams, Reaction Turbines and Francis Turbines Considers various economic and environmental factors significant for this type of project, such as resettlement, biodiversity and greenhouse gases Discusses best practices for locating a hydropower site and how to make important decisions regarding placement and method

The power sector has undergone a liberalization process both in industrialized and developing countries, involving market regimes, as well as ownership structure. These processes have called for new and innovative concepts, affecting both the operation of existing hydropower plants and transmission facilities, as well as the development and implementation of new projects. At the same time a sharper focus is being placed on environmental considerations. In this context it is important to emphasize the obvious benefits of hydropower as a clean, renewable and sustainable energy source. It is however also relevant to focus on the impact on the local environment during the planning and operation of hydropower plants. New knowledge and methods have been developed that make it possible to mitigate the local undesirable effects of such projects. Development and operation of modern power systems require sophisticated technology. Continuous research and development in this field is therefore crucial to maintaining hydropower as a competitive and environmentally well-accepted form of power generation.

There are few more urgent topics in today’s world, so full of ecological uncertainty. Hydropower Economics uses various econometric measures to examine sustainable alternative energy sources. It kicks off by modeling hydropower, yes, but it does not end there. Forsund has extended his model to include thermal power and wind power, too – forms of alternative energy that are taking on an ever larger profile.

The Mekong Basin is home to some 70 million people, for whom this great river is a source of livelihoods, the basis for their ecosystems and a foundation of their economies. But the Mekong is also currently undergoing enormous social, economic, and ecological change of which hydropower development is a significant driver. This book provides a basin-wide analysis of political, socio-economic and environmental perspectives of hydropower development in the Mekong Basin. It includes chapters from China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Written by regional experts from some of the region's leading research institutions, the book provides an holistic analysis of the shifting socio-political contexts within which hydropower is framed, legitimised and executed. Drawing heavily on political ecologies and political economics to examine the economic, social, political and ecological drivers of hydropower, the book's basin wide approach illuminates how hydropower development, and its benefits and impacts, are linked multilaterally across the basin. The research in the book is derived from empirical research conducted from 2012-2013 as part of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food's Mekong programme.