The invention relates to energy generation and water conservation. There are many water systems which might lend themselves to energy extraction, such as canal systems. However, despite canal systems being around for hundreds of years, practical solutions for using the energy available have not been developed. The invention provides, among various examples, a system which can be associated with a lock in a canal and provides a flow control strategy responsive to water availability upstream of the lock. Thus electricity may be generated selectively in response to the lock state and energy demands but without adversely affecting the canal system by taking excess water. The system may be applied to multiple locks and may incorporate machine learning to evolve a strategy for a canal based on lock usage and energy demand.

A fish passage system having flexible textile materials forming a conduit to transport fish across river barriers encountered during migration. The system can include modular support structures that can be independently secured to riverbeds to form conduit supports, dams, hydropower structures, and the like.

A hydroelectric energy production and storage system comprising an upper reservoir located in a depression or cavity in the ground and a lower reservoir located underground, where objects are arranged in the depression or cavity forming an aggregate which fills the depression or cavity and comprises hydraulically communicating void volumes between the objects is disclosed. Further, a method for building and operating such a system is presented.

A hydroelectric energy production and storage system comprising an upper reservoir located in a depression or cavity in the ground and a lower reservoir located underground, where objects are arranged in the depression or cavity forming an aggregate which fills the depression or cavity and comprises hydraulically communicating void volumes between the objects is disclosed. Further, a method for building and operating such a system is presented.

A water reservoir system for generating, accumulating, storing, and releasing electrical energy comprises a reservoir wall built in a shallow body of water such as a sea or an ocean with a height exceeding the outside water level by about 10-25 m, thereby defining an interior of the water reservoir. Excess electrical energy from other renewable sources of electricity such as wind, solar power, or supplied by a local power grid is used to operate water pumps to fill the interior of the water reservoir with water during times of peak supply of electricity. Water is drained from the water reservoir to the outside body of water and generates electrical energy by flowing over a plurality of water turbines, thereby generating electricity and supplementing electrical power for the local power grid during times of high demand. Additional interior sources of renewable energy may be used to supplement external sources of electrical power in operating the system of the invention.

A water-driven turbine has an elongated endless conveyor with down and up streaming straightaways connected by travel-reversing turns. Paddles mounted on the conveyor present high resistance to waterflow on the downstream straightaway and low resistance to waterflow or the atmosphere on the upstream straightaway, the differential allowing the flow of water to continuously drive the conveyor which is connected to a power take-off shaft facilitating connection to a variety of energy-harnessing systems. The turbine can be towed, self-driven or mooring line manipulated to a flow site and is operable in unidirectional flows such as rivers and reversing flows such as tides at depths from surface to bottom. The paddles can be mounted or changed on shore, at the flow site and anywhere in between. The turbine is efficient in low and high velocity water flow, not easily damaged by floating debris, cavitation free and fish, mammal and environmentally friendly.

A water-driven turbine has an elongated endless conveyor with down and up streaming straightaways connected by travel-reversing turns. Paddles mounted on the conveyor present high resistance to waterflow on the downstream straightaway and low resistance to waterflow or the atmosphere on the upstream straightaway, the differential allowing the flow of water to continuously drive the conveyor which is connected to a power take-off shaft facilitating connection to a variety of energy-harnessing systems. The turbine can be towed, self-driven or mooring line manipulated to a flow site and is operable in unidirectional flows such as rivers and reversing flows such as tides at depths from surface to bottom. The paddles can be mounted or changed on shore, at the flow site and anywhere in between. The turbine is efficient in low and high velocity water flow, not easily damaged by floating debris, cavitation free and fish, mammal and environmentally friendly.

An energy island system arranged related to a body of water with a seafloor, a surface and a depth over an underground is disclosed. The system comprises a structurally rigid shell (1) extending from the seafloor to above the water surface, inclosing a lagoon of the body of water, material with a negative buoyancy stacked around the shell (1) forming a gravity stabilized wall (2), and a tunnel (5) established in the wall (2), providing for hydraulic communication between the surrounding body of water and the interior of the shell (1). Further, a method for construction of an energy island is disclosed.

A hydroelectric power generation system includes at least one conduit extending from beneath the sea surface a predetermined depth into the ground below the sea floor level, a turbine connected to an underground distal end of each of the at least one conduit, and an underground reservoir to collect seawater flowing down through the at least one conduit and the connected turbine. The hydroelectric power generation system may be part of a distributed hydroelectric power generation system which includes a plurality of hydroelectric power generation systems, the distributed hydroelectric power generation system additionally including an underground reservoir to collect seawater flowing down through all of the conduits and connected turbines in the plurality of hydroelectric power systems.

A hydroelectric power generation system includes at least one conduit extending from beneath the sea surface a predetermined depth into the ground below the sea floor level, a turbine connected to an underground distal end of each of the at least one conduit, and an underground reservoir to collect seawater flowing down through the at least one conduit and the connected turbine. The hydroelectric power generation system may be part of a distributed hydroelectric power generation system which includes a plurality of hydroelectric power generation systems, the distributed hydroelectric power generation system additionally including an underground reservoir to collect seawater flowing down through all of the conduits and connected turbines in the plurality of hydroelectric power systems.