Advantages Hydropower

ADVANTAGES HYDROPOWER

Hydropower isan abundant, low cost source ofpower (where applicable), despite high upfront building costs.It is also aflexible and reliable source of electricitycompared to other renewable options, as it may be stored for use at a later time.Dammed reservoirs can also help with flood control, be a reliable water supply, and may be used for recreational purposes.

1. Renewable
Since this method uses water from the earth to produce electricity, the resource is renewable. Naturally, water that evaporates from the surface of the earth will form clouds and eventually falls back to the earth formed as snow or rain. This means that it will never have to run out of supply and it will not become scarce.

Though hydroelectric energy is renewable and we cannot use up, there’s only a limited number of suitable reservoirs where hydroelectric power plants can be built and even less places where such projects are profitable.

2. Green
Generating electricity with hydro energy is not polluting itself. The only pollution occurs during the construction of these massive power plants. It will not produce any greenhouse gases or toxins that will pollute the environment.

3. Reliable
Hydroelectricity is very reliable energy. There are very little fluctuations in terms of the electric power that is being by the plants, unless a different output is desired. Countries that have large resources of hydropower use hydroelectricity as a base load energy source. As long as there is water in the magazines electricity can be generated.

4. Flexible
As previously mentioned, adjusting water flow and output of electricity is easy. At times where power consumption is low, water flow is reduced and the magazine levels are being conserved for times when the power consumption is high.

5. Safe
Compared to among others fossil fuels and nuclear energy, hydroelectricity is much safer. There is no fuel involved (other than water that is).

6. Low Operating Cost
The good thing about hydroelectricity when it comes to cost is that it requires low maintenance and operating cost. It also require minimal replacements due to the fewer parts that are present in it. More so, the dams built in these locations have been designed for long-term use. Hence, these facilities will be capable of providing hydroelectric power for a long period of time.

7. Matches Current Demand.
Altering the water streams, creating dams, and getting power can be easier said than done. However, it is not very hard to get going. Once the establishment is in place, it will be easier to deflect the flow of water from one place to another. For instance, if the demand for water is low in a particular area, it will be lowered, redirected and stored until the need arises.