Hydropower

Hydropower is a clean renewable energy source. Snow and rainfall, creating streams and rivers, renew the source.

Buying Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) from hydropower guarantees that the renewable energy consumed is from this source.

Historically people have used rivers for agriculture and to power watermills and sawmills for example. Today, rivers are re-directed through hydro generators to produce electricity.

Hydropower categories include:

Reservoir production: Water is stored in reservoirs, with the flow controlled to produce an even supply. Pump storage plants pump water upstream during periods of low demand. The water is released when demand is increasing.

Run-of-River uses natural river flows, not reservoirs or water storage.

Small Scale Origin hydropower plants are those with less than 20 MW capacity.

A large share of the world’s power production comes from hydropower. In Norway, hydropower represents approximately 99% of the total electric power production. With 136 TWh of production as of 2020, this is the highest volume in Europe.

Norway has more than 100 years’ experience and world-class competence in building and operating hydropower plants. Over the past decades, older installations have been upgraded to increase operational efficiency. The operations are also designed to reduce the impact on the environment and help improve local biodiversity.

Hydropower generation

Hydropower is the largest source of renewable electricity in the world, producing around 17% of the world’s electricity from over 1 307 GW of installed capacity. Annual net capacity growth has slowed in recent years, due to fewer large projects being developed in China and Brazil. However, cumulative capacity is still expected to increase by an additional 230 GW by 2030 (IEA).

Get in touch

Impact products

ECOHZ provides a range of products with different levels of impact to contribute to several of the SDGs.

Custom choices

ECOHZ BLUE POWER

Meets latest environmental EU standards – protects rivers, flora and fauna.

ECOHZ Local Impact

Contributes to build renewables in your local society.

ECOHZ INVESTMENT GUARANTEE

The electricity comes from a producer with current capital investments in new capacity.

RENEWABLE ENERGY MATCHING

The renewable energy consumption is matched with the production from the same period.

POWER PLANT RESERVATION

Own pool of power plants to document your renewable energy consumption.

Ecolabels

Consume renewable energy meeting requirements of specific standards or ecolabels. Buy Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) from power plants that meet stricter environmental standards and are verified by an external auditor. Choose between national or international ecolabels and standards, document the age and type of the power plant, technology and unique operational focus, and raise funds for renewable energy projects.

EKOENERGY

International ecolabel for renewable electricity with strict criteria for environmental impact, and that directs funds to new renewable energy projects

BRA MILJÖVAL

Swedish ecolabel with strict environmental criteria

OK POWER

German ecolabel for renewable electricity from new or upgraded power plants

TÜV NORD A75

A German ecolabel promoting energy from new power plants

TÜV SÜD – EE01

German ecolabel for renewable electricity from new power plants, with a mix of technologies and fund allocation

NATUREMADE STAR

Swiss ecolabel with strict environmental criteria

GREEN-E® ENERGY

Green-e is North America’s leading certification program for renewable energy.