Hydroelectricity Pros and Cons

Hydroelectricity happens to be one of the most popular and widely-practiced forms of renewable energy. Hydroelectricity and hydroelectric power generation are concepts that are introduced to students in nearly each and every middle school or high school. Therefore, most of you would be quite familiar with what hydroelectric power is, and how it is generated. However, for the benefit of those who aren't all that familiar with hydroelectricity and the concept of hydroelectric power, here is a basic introduction, after which we will have a look at some hydroelectricity pros and cons.

What is Hydroelectricity?

Hydroelectricity, in the simplest of terms, is the electricity that is generated using flowing water, or that water which is stored in a reservoir. In both cases however, the basic fundamental principle of power generation remains the same. For all you curious souls, here is an explanation of how hydroelectricity is generated. A large volume of water is stored in a reservoir at a high altitude. A power generation plant, consisting of multiple turbines is constructed downstream, at a much lower altitude. The reservoir and the power generation plant are connected by large pipelines known as penstocks. When water is released from the reservoir, it flows down the penstock at a high speed towards the turbine. Naturally, the speed at which the water flows down the penstock will be directly proportional to the difference between the altitudes of the reservoir and the turbine. As the water flows down, its potential energy gets converted into kinetic energy, which therein works the turbine blades and produces electricity. This is how hydroelectric power is generated.

Hydroelectricity Pros and Cons

Now that you are aware of how hydroelectricity is generated, let us take a look at the various pros and cons of hydroelectricity. First, the good part, i.e. the pros or advantages of hydroelectricity.

Pros

• Hydroelectricity is undoubtedly the most widely-used form of renewable energy as compared to other energy forms such as solar energy, tidal energy, wind energy, etc. It is also the most feasible of all renewable energy options and therefore, the most popular.
• In terms of reliability and consistency, hydroelectricity is way ahead of its other renewable energy counterparts. No wonder then, that hydroelectric power is a preferred choice of power, not just for small scale industries, but also for heavy duty industries and manufacturing plants.
• Hydroelectric power is completely independent of fossil fuels or other perishable resources. It does not involve any combustion or burning of fuel, coal, etc. and therefore, does not release any toxic chemicals in the atmosphere and nor does it create any harmful byproducts.
• Unlike many other forms of energy, power generation is almost instantaneous in case of hydroelectricity. In a hydroelectric power plant, starting the turbine or stopping it is a process that hardly takes a few minutes (sometimes even seconds).
• The operational cost is quite low and it is also a clean way of producing energy. Also, the water can be reused for agriculture, irrigation, civic water supply, etc., therefore losses are minimal.
• Also, the large volume of water in the reservoir often serves the purpose for recreational activities such as water sports, etc., which make the location a tourist spot as well.

Cons

• One of the major cons of hydroelectricity is the need for a large enough reservoir. Constructing a large reservoir is a major challenge, both in terms of time and money. Also, it often involves relocation of families who happen to be residing in the area that has been approved for the construction of the reservoir.
• Regardless of how strong and unbreakable a reservoir may seem, there is always the theoretical risk of the reservoir giving way in the event of unexpected heavy and prolonged torrential rain. Although such incidents are rare, if they indeed do happen, they can cause mass damage to livelihood.
• In some cases, constructing a reservoir or damming a river at a certain location may lead to adverse ecological effects on its immediate surroundings.
• Since the amount of power generated depends largely on the altitude difference between the reservoir and the turbine, finding a suitable place for both the reservoir and the turbine often becomes a problem.
• Droughts can have a severely adverse impact on hydroelectric power generation.
• Silt is a problem that adversely affects quite a few reservoirs, and consequently, the respective hydroelectric power plants as well.

This was a short overview of hydroelectricity pros and cons. I hope that it has helped in familiarizing you with hydroelectricity advantages and disadvantages. Remember, renewable energy is going to be the need of the day sooner than you think. Therefore, you better start acquainting yourself with information about various renewable sources of electricity at the earliest!