A. Advantages:
- It does not depend on the costs of uranium or oil, nor other fuels.
- Pollution is rare
- It doesn’t need as many employees
- It can be installed in many sizes
- Stations can be operated and maintained for extended periods of time
- Reduces greenhouse emissions
- Low maintenance costs
- It can be used around the globe
- It can be renewed
- Hydroelectricity does not produce any gas emissions or waste.
- The operation of hydroelectric stations is very affordable.
- This method of producing electricity produces very little pollution compared to other methods.
- Hydroelectric power is the most responsive source of electric power, and it’s also easy to start or stop.
- Water can be converted to electric energy up to 90% efficiently.
- Hydroelectric power does not produce any chemical or waste heat pollution.
- The maintenance required for hydroelectric power plants is minimal.
- Reservoir lakes are great for recreation and flood protection.
- Groundwater reserves can be increased by recharging reservoirs.
- The expected lifespan of plants is usually two to three times longer that those in conventional thermal power plants.
- Hydroelectric plants can be used for breeding fish and other aquatic products
- It’s more reliable than wind and solar power because it can be stored, and electricity can be generated at a constant rate.
- The sluice gates can be closed if electricity is not required, stopping the generation of electricity. You can save the water for another day when there is a high demand for electricity. Because the lake is full of water, energy can be stored until it is needed to generate electricity.
- Dams are built to last for decades, so they can be used to generate electricity for many years or decades.
- The dam’s lake can be used to do water sports or for leisure and pleasure activities. Large dams can be tourist attractions.
- You can use the lake’s water for irrigation.
- Electricity produced by dam systems does not emit green house gases when it is in use. They don’t pollute the air.
- Hydropower can be fueled by water and is therefore a clean source of fuel. Hydropower isn’t as polluting as power plants that use fossil fuels like oil and coal.
- Hydropower is a domestic energy source that is produced near the place it is required.
- Hydropower is a hydropower source that relies on the water cycle. This water cycle is driven by the sun.
- Hydropower can be used as often as required. Engineers can regulate the flow of water through turbines to generate electricity when needed.
- Hydropower is a cleaner and more economical source of energy than oil. Modern hydropower turbines can convert as much as 90 percent of the energy they produce into electricity. The most efficient coal-burning plants are capable of only producing around 50 percent of their electricity.
- Hydropower is less expensive than fossil fuel power plants, which can run around 2 to 3 cents an kWh. Although it may seem small, when you consider the millions of kWh Americans use, this is a significant savings.
- Hydropower plants offer additional benefits, such as the creation of recreational opportunities as well as electricity. Hydropower dams not only provide water-based activities but also encourage outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, hunting, and skiing.
- In addition to producing clean electricity, hydropower plants offer other benefits. Hydropower plants create reservoirs that provide recreational opportunities such as fishing, swimming, and boating. To allow the public to enjoy these recreational opportunities, most hydro power plants must provide some access to the reservoir. Additional benefits include water supply and flood control.
- Can regulate river flows (flood prevention), store water, and create a recreational lake (though they often conflict).
- B. Disadvantages:
- High investment costs
- Precipitation is dependent
- Sometimes, wildlife can be harmed.
- Fish species disappearance
- Quality of rivers and streams has changed
- Construction costs
- For hydroelectric power production, flooding entire valleys or scenic areas is required.
- Disrupting natural seasonal changes in the river can lead to ecosystem destruction.
- Ends flooding which helps to remove the silt from rivers, causing them clog (Energy Laboratory).
- The dam blocks the silt from flowing to the Estuaries and Beaches.
- Studies have shown that plant decay downstream of major dams emits as much greenhouse gasses than more traditional methods of producing electricity.
- Dams can be expensive to construct and may not produce the power you had in mind.
- One dam built in Quebec could flood a large area of land as large as Switzerland.
- In a flash flood, dams can burst in massive flash flooding
- Large-scale hydroelectric projects have high construction costs.
- Damming rivers can cause changes in ecological cycles, and the surrounding landscapes. Self-regulating ecosystems become ones that need to be managed.
- The ability of a dam to store water or generate energy can be gradually reduced by sedimentation.
- Only a few sites are suitable for large dams.
- Damming may result in the loss of suitable land for agriculture or recreation.
- Power production can be affected by drought.
- Dams are susceptible to natural forces. Dam failures result in a high death rate.
- Elements are more likely in river channels that run downstream of dams.
- Hydroelectric power stations have the disadvantage of destroying wildlife and habitats.
- Dams can be very expensive to construct and must be constructed to a high standard.
- Dam construction is expensive. They must be profitable for many decades.
- Flooding large areas of land can result in the destruction of the natural environment.
- People who live in flood-prone areas, such as villages or towns, will need to move. They risk losing their homes and businesses. Some countries force people to leave their homes so that hydropower projects can proceed.
- Large dams can lead to serious geological problems. The Hoover Dam, in the USA, has caused a series of earthquakes and depressed the earth’s surface.
- Modern dam design and planning is excellent, but dams of the past were often breached by the weight of the water in the lake. This has caused flooding and deaths.
- Dams that block the flow of a river in one nation usually mean that water supplies from the next country’s rivers are out of their hands. This can cause serious problems between neighbouring countries.
- The natural water table is affected by large dams. The Aswan Dam, in Egypt, has changed the level of Egypt’s water table. As a result, many of the monuments are slowly being damaged by salts and other destructive minerals.
- Hydropower dams can cause damage to the environment and alter water quality by creating low levels of dissolved oxygen. This impacts fish and other ecosystems. They can also occupy a lot of space and cause damage to animal, plant, or human environments.
- Fish populations can be affected if fish are unable to migrate upstream from impoundment dams to their spawning grounds, or if they are unable to migrate downstream to the ocean. Fish ladders and elevators can help fish move upstream. Or fish can be trapped and transported by truck. Fish can be diverted from turbine intakes by using screens, racks or underwater lights and sounds.
- Water quality and flow can be affected by hydro power. Low dissolved oxygen levels can be caused by hydro power plants. This is a problem that can harm riverbank (riparian) habitats. There are many aeration techniques that oxygenate the water. For the survival of riparian ecosystems, it is important to maintain low water flows downstream from a hydro power plant.
- Drought can affect hydro power plants. Hydro power plants cannot produce electricity if water isn’t available.
- Hydropower facilities can have a negative impact on the environment and could be a threat to other land uses. These alternative uses could be more valuable than electricity generation. The natural habitat of fauna, humans, and flora could be lost. Flooding could cause damage to historic sites and cultures. Hydro power plants older than 50 years old may be of historic importance. Renovations must take into account these preservation considerations and the impacts on animal and plant life.
- It is expected that hydropower dams’ percentage will drop to around 4 percent by 2020. This is because there are no new plants in the pipeline and more money is being spent on alternative energy sources like solar power and wind power.
- Large river valleys are often flooded by dams. This can cause flooding and displacement of animals, as well as people. China’s big Three Gorges dam displaced more than a million people. Many archaeological sites are no longer accessible under water, and there is significant environmental damage along the banks the Yangtze River’s many tributaries.
- Let’s get to the point:
Hydro was the first commercial source for power of any size. Although the uses were obvious, there are certain drawbacks.
They can also destroy agricultural land and alter the course rivers. They should be placed at the discretion of each plant, not our choice. Many of the power we use today isn’t even being used in a constructive way. A large amount of our energy is used to transport it around the country. This form of power has a major drawback. It requires a lot of land and energy to transport the power from the plants. Energy users face a significant problem with grid loss.
It is a renewable source of energy. Hydro power plants are not dependent on fossil fuels, which eventually run out. It does not pollute the environment. They produce power at a high rate of reliability (compared to solar and wind). However, they are more destructive than nuclear power plants and have a significant impact on all ecosystems downstream of the dam.
Advantages
- Fuel source inexhaustible
- Minimal environmental impact
- Viable source of energy that is relatively useful
- It can be used around the globe
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Advantages
- Models with smaller dimensions depend on the availability of rivers or streams that are swiftly flowing.
- Run-of the-River plants may affect the mobility of fish, and other river life. This negative aspect can be mitigated by building a fish ladder.
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