Analysis of Hydropower Potential Utilization of Watercourses in Slovakia

Abstract

This article analyzes the hydropower potential of watercourses inRenewable energy sources (RES) are usually presented as key energy sources in the future, but their usage is becoming more and more important even today. The key element of the energy policy in various countries is the increase of the RES share on energy production and production of heating and transport fuels in order to create the appropriate additional resources needed to meet domestic demand together with the efforts to ensure sustainable development. "It is a development that preserves the present and future generations of the opportunity to satisfy their basic living needs while not diminishing the diversity of nature and preserving the natural functions of ecosystems" (1).The basic indicator of the potential for water energy utilization is the calculation of the so called hydro-energetic potential (HEP). According to the updated Conception of the using the hydroenergetic potential of the Slovak waters, we can define the hydro-energetic potential, on theoretical basis, as the sum of the hydro-energetic potentials of all water flows in Slovakia calculated from the long-term average flows in the monitored flow profiles and from the total difference in the levels and the full efficiency of the conversion energy" (2).According to the updated concept, the total theoretical hydropower potential of water flows in Slovakia is 13 682 GWh/year (2). This overall theoretical potential represents the statistical volume whose value provides an image of the characteristics of the individual flows. Actually, it is the potential of surface water and groundwater that flows into the river as flow. Since the amount of water flowing into the troughs of all surface water depends on the configuration and geology of the terrain, it Unauthenticated Download Date | 5/12/18 10:01 AM