Hydro Power – The Answer to the World’s Energy Crisis?
The world faces an energy crisis. Scarcity of conventional energy supply has combined with a rising global population and the rapid industrialisation of third-world countries to leave humanity facing the prospect of a severe lack of energy in the near future. If present trends continue, there simply will not be enough power to meet mankind’s needs. A variety of solutions have been proposed for this: an expansion of nuclear power, drilling for oil in previously protected areas such as Alaska and Antarctica, increased research into energy-saving technology and a large-scale switch to renewable energy. The latter can be split into a variety of areas, the main ones being solar power, wind power and hydro power. Of these, it seems that at present hydro power has the best chance of widespread adoption; indeed significant hydroelectricity producing projects are already in operation.
The most common large scale hydro power systems are incorporated into dams and reservoirs. Stored water is released down chutes in the dams containing turbines; as the turbines work electricity is created. The potential energy of the stored water is transformed into usable power. This is a relatively simple method that has been used for centuries: in the past waterwheels have powered mills, and the at the start of the industrial revolution the main method of powering factories, especially in areas where iron and steel were being processed, was hydro power. Now, though, giant hydroelectric power stations are being constructed to provide energy in place of conventional sources such as fossil fuels, the prime example being the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China. At the time of writing providing three percent of the energy needs of the whole of China, this is a truly stupendous engineering achievement.
Other large scale systems are beginning to be implemented in tidal and coastal areas. Tidal barrage systems operate across the mouths of river estuaries, where the ebb and flow of the tide can be exploited to provide energy. Wave farms operate on the open ocean, with floating turbines moored in areas where wave activity is strong enough to generate electricity efficiently but not so strong that there is a risk of damage to the turbines. Being less familiar than hydroelectric dams, these systems are taking longer to design and implement but could prove to be an effective solution for countries with extensive coastlines.
The benefits of such hydro power systems are clear: once constructed, the energy produced is cheap and clean when compared to other power sources; the amount of pollution produced is minimal. There are, however, negatives. The construction of hydroelectricity systems can lead to environmental problems: the building of the aforementioned Three Gorges Dam led to the displacement of millions of people and the submerging of the habitats of endangered species such as the Siberian Crane. Also, tidal barrage systems have also been criticised for their potential to upset the ecological balance of the estuaries in which they are located, though system designers have responded by promising to attempt to minimise such disruption.
Despite these problems, it is clear that hydro power is an attractive option for future provision of energy, especially in coastal countries. Problems associated with other forms of energy will ensure that one of mankind’s oldest power sources will continue to be exploited well into the twenty-first century.
To find out more about hydro power, including the emergence of small scale systems usable by businesses and homeowners, visit http://www.electricitygeneration.co.uk – This site also contains information on a wide variety of conventional and non-conventional energy sources, allowing the visitor to assess how they can ensure their power needs are met for years to come.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Drabble
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