What is Hydroelectric Energy?
Hydroelectric energy is electricity produced using Hydropower, i.e., water. It might sound odd and even a bit risky, perhaps? It’s a renewable and clean energy source that produces about a sixth of the world’s electricity.
How Does Hydroelectric Energy Work?
Hydroelectric energy is produced through the kinetic energy produced by moving water transformed into electricity. This is typically accomplished by utilizing an impressive infrastructure that houses and regulates how water flows. It then uses it to produce emissions-free electricity.
The process starts by building the dam (or finding the most suitable barrier) along a natural river to ensure the water flowing is stored back in an acquisition. The water flow is then controlled by grates in the dam that let it flow through when it is opened or keep it back within the reservoir when it is shut.
If the flow of water can flow by the dam flows via pipes towards a machine equipped with blades that are movable due to the kinetic energy generated by the flowing water. The kinetic energy of the water is converted into mechanical (or mechanical) power for the turbine, which connects to an electric generator. Generators convert mechanical energy into electricity, stored or transferred to the nation’s grid via power lines.
Are hydroelectric power sources renewable?
However, the water doesn’t get exhausted through this process and instead is released from the dam through the drain or spillway. To continue flowing downstream. It could be reused time and time again.
What Are the Advantages of Hydro Energy?
Reusable: The water used in this process isn’t depleted and does not need to undergo any other method before it can be utilized. It’s normal rainwater that flows through the normal cycle of water after it’s passed over the turbine.
Sustainable: By helping reduce the dependence on other energy sources, Hydropower can reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere since it does not produce any greenhouse gases.
Reservoirs Offer Flexibility and support: By having pools that are filled with water, a lot of hydroelectric power plants can provide energy in times when other sources of intermittent power, like solar power, don’t. Additionally, this allows for Flexibility as to the time power is generated since it can alleviate the strain on infrastructure during high usage times.
Water ControlDams and reservoirs are a way to regulate water flow in areas susceptible to flooding, ensuring that the risk of flooding is drastically reduced.
What Are the Disadvantages of Hydro Energy?
Reservoirs need particular Locations: Only a small number of locations can be used for hydroelectric power plants because pools require exact placement to prevent causing excessive disturbance.
Space vs. viabilityThey can occupy an enormous amount of land, and even when an area is considered suitable, it does not mean it will produce enough energy to make it sustainable.
Environmental disruption: Like any other infrastructure for energy, Hydropower has the potential to affect its environment. Constructing dams over rivers could influence the movement of fish, and the size of the structure can affect delicate ecosystems.
Water Doesn’t Always Surplus: Like any other natural resource, water is subject to cycles of prosperity and drought, and while reservoirs can make electricity from hydroelectric sources more stable than other resources of nature, it will have times that are a bit limiting. Learn more about how valuable our water is on our blog here.
How We Work to Minimise These Disadvantages
At 100Green, we endeavor to ensure that our energy sources are as eco-green as possible. At the same time, any infrastructure will affect the environment around it – even the production of green energy requires careful assessment! However, the impact can be reduced by utilizing specific methods. We, for instance, take an optimistic perspective and have collaborated with generators using the dam infrastructure that was constructed many years ago but is now being utilized to generate renewable energy. We also partner with a community-based project that supplies their local community with electricity and then sells the excess power to us.
The EKO tariff takes it one step further, as it is not just 100% renewable but also meets strict sustainability standards. This means that the Hydropower utilized in this tariff is sourced from a source that ensures an uninterrupted flow of water, considers fish migration, and creates a suitable habitat for aquatic animals. EKO energy is tracked back to the source to ensure it is always up to these standards.
We are a proponent of the production of green energy within the UK, and a portion of our energy comes from smaller hydroelectric projects in areas such as Scotland and Derbyshire so that the infrastructure required to help them is less disruptive than more extensive operations and more local, thereby allowing the UK economy and the way towards energy independence.
How Many Hydroelectric Power Plants Do 100Green Own?
100Green does not have any generation facilities. It might sound odd, considering that we’re an energy supplier and not a generator. Still, we concentrate on finding the most environmentally friendly point, and we try to source as much as we can from small, sustainable companies here in the UK, which we then sell the power to you, the customer. Also, we’ll be giving you excellent customer service!
How 100Green Uses Hydroelectric Energy
Our energy is produced in sustainable methods, and no carbon offsets are needed since there are no carbon emissions. This includes our Hydropower, produced by small sustainable producers and passed on to us. Then, we utilize this energy to provide renewable electricity, allowing you to power your business or home more sustainably.
Suppose you’re looking to sell our green power. In that case, we’re always interested in hearing from UK generators located in the UK – regardless of whether you are a home or small installation (less than 30kW) or are a commercial generator. We’d love to talk to you.
All of our tariffs begin by introducing our Sparkling energy, the only 100 green energy tariff available within the UK. To learn more about what Sparkling energy is produced, visit our Sparkling page here.
If you’d like to explore the concept of green a bit deeper, then look at the EKO rate, which results from locations designed to protect wildlife (like the fish that migrate!)
