The Truth About Hydroelectric Generators and Electricity

Electricity generated from the sun, wind and water is clean and abundant. It provides a steady and reliable source of energy that will not deplete our resources. While it can be generated commercially cheaply and easily, there are some downsides. Some environmental impact is unavoidable. Electricity generated from the sun, wind and water has pros and cons of its own.

Photovoltaic cells or PV cells convert light to electricity. They are commonly used to supplement or even replace fossil fuels such as coal. Tends to be more expensive up front. Can only meet peak electricity demand during daylight hours. Also requires a large area of direct sunlight to produce substantial power.

An active gas or LPG gas plant uses steam from a turbine to boil water to form vapor that is then released into the atmosphere. The vapor is condensed by an air compressor and then used to turn turbines to generate electricity. A byproduct of the process is water, which must be reused if the plant is to be monetarily profitable. Generating electricity at a greater scale than an LPG plant can prove to be very costly. Electricity produced from this source tends to deplete over time.

A hydroelectric plant uses the natural flow of water to move turbines that create electricity. Although most electricity produced in this manner is sent to the grid as electric current, some electricity is still sent to homes and businesses as direct current. This type of electricity generation needs large amounts of water in order to work effectively. An excess of either surface water or groundwater can quickly deplete the dams which are used to control the flow of water.

Coal power plants use fossils such as coal and natural gases like methane to generate electricity. Coal burning power plants have been blamed for polluting the air and having a detrimental effect on the climate. These types of energy sources emit high levels of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The use of these types of energy has been strongly encouraged by the Environmental Protection Agency but they have yet to be implemented into law. Many environmentalists have become opposed to the use of coal power plants due to the effects they have on the environment.

Another energy source that can produce electricity is the water cycle. Water can be tapped directly from rivers and used to generate electricity. Some of these hydropower plants use large dams to achieve their electricity generating capabilities. The best known of these hydropower plants is the Hoover Dam, which serves as a hydropower plant in the region of Arizona. The dam allows water to flow over the mountain into a number of different lakes and into the Colorado River. These dams are considered to be one of the largest sources of clean and renewable electricity.

Hydroelectricity can be produced from damming operations utilizing gravitational force. This method allows large amounts of water to be harnessed through turbines. A power station in Germany uses this type of hydropower plant. Although many environmentalists are opposed to the use of this method, it has been supported by several government bodies in Europe as well as the United States.

There are a number of other ways in which electricity can be created that do not depend on the methods listed above. An incredibly clean energy source known as solar energy involves collecting sunlight and using it to power a generator. Electricity can also be created from tidal wave power. The generators involved use the ocean's natural currents to power turbines.

The use of wave energy has been heavily debated. Some claim that the use of the turbines leads to significant amounts of pollution being released into the atmosphere. Wave electricity can lead to significant pollution if it is used for personal consumption rather than for commercial purposes. One of the major problems associated with the use of wave energy is that wave power is very difficult to harness due to the low speed at which the water moves. In addition to the pollutants that are created from the turbines themselves, there are a large number of pollutants that are created during the generation process for electricity.

There are a number of reasons why hydroelectric plants can create electricity without releasing large amounts of pollutants into the air. One of these reasons is that some of the pollutants produced by the dam will enter into the reservoirs which will then return to the environment later. These reservoirs will take some time to recoup the amount of hydroelectric plants that were used in generating the electricity.

Hydroelectric energy is one of the most efficient methods of providing electricity. While other energy sources are slowly being replaced by newer technologies, hydroelectric plants have a relatively short life span and the technology required to permanently replace hydroelectric energy is constantly being improved. Because of the problems currently facing the planet, the world is not in a position to replace hydroelectric energy as quickly as previously thought. Hydropower is still a much more promising alternative to the use of fossil fuels to power our economy. Hydroelectric plants will likely play an important role for generations to come, but they will only be a major source of electricity when fossil fuels generate too much pollution to be of help.