Okuzeka
Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Hydro, Nuclear and Other Sources

Dam

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

/dæm/nounCore term

In energy & renewables, dam means: A large wall built across a river to hold back water and create a reservoir. In hydropower plants, the stored water flows through turbines to generate electricity.

In Turkish: baraj

How it is used

Used in hydropower, water management and environmental discussions. Dams are built, raised and filled, and water is released. Related words: reservoir (baraj gölü), spillway (dolusavak), penstock (cebri boru), water level. A dam plant can store water and produce on demand, unlike most run-of-river plants.

Example sentences

  1. The water level behind the dam is 20 percent lower than last year.

  2. The dam releases more water in the evening, when electricity prices are highest.

Common collocations

  • build a dam
  • dam reservoir
  • behind the dam
  • dam safety
  • hydropowerElectricity produced by water flowing through turbines, usually from a river or from a reservoir behind a dam. It is the oldest large-scale renewable power source.
  • pumped hydro storageStoring energy by pumping water up to a higher reservoir when electricity is cheap or plentiful, then releasing it through turbines to generate power when needed.
  • dispatchableDescribing a power source whose output can be started, raised or lowered on request, such as gas, reservoir hydro or batteries, unlike weather-dependent solar and wind.
  • renewable energyEnergy from sources that nature replaces all the time, such as sunlight, wind, flowing water, the Earth's heat and organic material, so they do not run out like coal, oil or gas.

More terms: Hydro, Nuclear and Other Sources

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